The Florida Theatre is located in downtown Jacksonville. It is approximately 4 blocks northeast of Jacksonville Landing, which is a dining & entertainment district overlooking the St. Johns River.
The Florida Theatre originally opened in 1927 and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is only one of four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during the building boom of the 1920s.
With the efforts of the entire Jacksonville community, the Florida Theatre was restored and remodeled back to its original grandeur including modern day improvements. The grand reopening of the Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center took place on October 1st, 1983.
The capacity of the Florida Theatre is 1,906 for shows and concerts. The sight lines for all the seats are near perfect with very little obstruction to the front of the stage. The acoustics for the Florida Theatre are incredible, making it a great place to see your favorite entertainers.
The nearly six-story ornate proscenium arch over the stage dominates the theatre. Watch our calendar for the next show you don’t want to miss at the Florida Theatre.
The Florida Theatre is home to many of Jacksonville’s art institutions including Theatreworks, The Florida Ballet, Jacksonville Ballet Theatre, and the annual Community Nutcracker. It also serves as a true community center hosting special events, fundraisers, lectures, private receptions, conferences, school programs, and more. For more information on renting the facility call 904-355-5661. The Florida Theatre is a smoke-free facility, but patrons may go outside to smoke then re-enter the building.
To purchase tickets to the Florida Theatre call the Box Office at 904-355-2787. It is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday and 2 hours before each performance.
The Box Office will accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express credit cards.
They do have some accessible seating along with ADA compliant restrooms. There is some handicap parking available in the area. Call the Box Office prior to the show for more information on accessible seating and handicap parking.
There is a city parking garage at the corner of Adams & Newnan, which is one block from the theatre’s door. They charge $5 and it is well lighted. You may get lucky and find some street parking. The metered street parking is free after 5:30 P.M. and on weekends.
Snacks are sold at the concession stand along with a full bar. No food or beverages may be brought into the auditorium area.
History
The Florida Theatre originally opened to the public on April 8th, 1927, as downtown Jacksonville’s largest movie theatre. Like many theatres of the day, it was designed for both Vaudeville stage shows and movies. It featured many new and unique features of the day, like central heating, air-conditioning and a vacuuming system.
The original architects envisioned the interior to be like a Mediterranean courtyard at night with twinkling stars above, grand balconies, and ornate fountains. The Mediterranean Revival architectural style was prominent during Florida’s building boom during the 1920s.
One of the most famous events held at the Florida Theatre was when the 21 year old Elvis Presley performed August 10 & 11, 1956, for 3 shows per day. It was his first concert appearance on an indoor stage. The ticket price was $1.50 at the door. Elvis, the City of Jacksonville, and the Florida Theatre found themselves subjects of a LIFE Magazine feature when prominent Duval County Judge, Marion Gooding sat through the performance to ensure that Elvis’s hips would not be too suggestive.
The Florida Theatre is over 80 years old and has seen some of the biggest stars on its stage. Since it is an older building it is constantly being maintained and updated to preserve the original Mediterranean design. It is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Today, this historic building provides all the modern day complex technical support for today’s artist.