The Sunrise Theatre is located in the heart of the beautiful resurgence of downtown Fort Pierce, Florida. It is within sight of the picturesque waters of the Indian River Lagoon.
The Sunrise Theatre first opened in 1923 but has been completely renovated and restored to its original grandeur and is on the National Register of Historic Places. During the restoration, it was very important to modernize the Sunrise Theatre while preserving the past.
The capacity for the Sunrise Theatre is approximately 1,200 for concerts and shows. It has more than 40,000 square feet, and is available for hosting conferences, lectures and meetings. It is a non-smoking facility but you are allowed to go outside and smoke, then re-enter the theatre.
The Sunrise Theatre got its name from the city’s beautiful morning views over the Indian River and the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Pierce has one of the few downtown areas located on the water on the east coast of Florida. It is only a 2-hour, 110-mile drive from the Orlando International Airport. That makes it a nice 1 or 2-night getaway from a busy Central Florida vacation. Watch our calendar for a night to be remembered at the Sunrise Theatre.
To purchase tickets to the Sunrise Theatre call the Box Office at 772-461-4775. It is open Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 4:00pm. The Box Office hours could extend on show dates. Wheelchair seating is available along with ADA compliant restrooms. Call the Box Office for more information.
There is a large FREE public city-parking garage located about a block from the Sunrise Theatre on Orange Avenue. Street parking is also available if you get lucky.
Snacks are sold at the concession stand along with a full bar.
History of the Sunrise Theatre
The Sunrise Theatre opened its doors on August 1st, 1923 and was built by a West Virginia oilman turned Florida Citrus Grower, Rupert “Pop” Koblegard. People thought he was crazy because the population at the time was just over 2,100 and the theatre had around 1,300 seats. Pop believed in the community and answered his critics by saying “It is better to be ahead of the times than behind them.” He built the Sunrise Theatre in the popular Mediterranean style of the day. It was suitable for both vaudeville acts and silent film screenings and included an orchestra pit.
The Sunrise Theatre closed its doors on September 8th, 1983, due to the decline of the Fort Pierce downtown area. In 1997, the St. Lucie Preservation Association, Inc. purchased the Sunrise Theatre. It is now completely restored and is being used once again as the Cultural Center of St. Lucie County as well as the Treasure Coast. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on December 7th, 2001.
The textures and colors of the theatre’s original rich textiles were recreated with the dramatic burgundy and gold floral carpet, burgundy stage curtain and gold fabric-covered walls. Exhaustive efforts were taken to expose and re-create the ornamental detail of the original Sunrise Theatre.
New additions were built to accommodate the large touring shows, state-of-the-art lighting & sound was added, and an efficient modern day cooling system was installed. During the restoration, it was very important to modernize the Sunrise Theatre while preserving the past.