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Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 20, 2026. Credit: Colin Wolf \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\nTampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida on Aug. 20, 2026. Credit: Colin Wolf \/ Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/p>\n
Tampa\u2019s iconic movie palace turns 100 years old this fall and will mark the occasion with an ambitious week-long party.<\/p>\n
The celebrations happen in October, just eight months after Tampa Theatre<\/a>\u2019s Duncan Auditorium closed for a centennial renovation and restoration<\/a>. The attached, recently-opened, Taylor Screening Room <\/a>has been in operation throughout the facelift.<\/p>\n Jill Witecki, Vice President and Director of Marketing & Community Relations at Tampa Theatre<\/a>, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the venue has many reasons to raise a glass, from the actual reopening, to the capital campaign that funded it, and the centennial itself.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even a book about the 100-year history, authored by the late and beloved Tampa historian Andy Huse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe kind of realized that it was going to be a tall order for one party to do all of that,\u201d she added. \u201cSo we decided to have more than one.\u201d<\/p>\n The big party happens on Thursday, Oct. 15 and includes a surprise silent film soundtracked by Tampa Theatre\u2019s mighty Wurlitzer played by resident organist Steven Ball<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tickets for the reopening party will be just $26, Witecki said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t want these to be gala-level tickets,\u201d she added. \u201cThis is a party for Tampa because 50-years-ago Tampa rescued this building<\/a>, and if they hadn\u2019t, we wouldn\u2019t all be here today.\u201d<\/p>\n The Oct. 15 party is actually the culmination of a week of programming, which kicks off on Oct. 9.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when the families of workers and contractors who\u2019ve been working on the renovation since March will see a private movie screening.<\/p>\n The theater starts slowly opens to the public on Saturday, Oct. 10 for an invite-only party for members who will pick the movie to be shown that night.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tampa Theatre will then offer a Sunday, Oct. 11, no-cover, afternoon open house where the public, regardless of membership, can see the renovation.<\/p>\n Witecki said that since the theater didn\u2019t get to run its summer classics series, the venue will try to bring classic films back for three nights, Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 12-15.<\/p>\n Guest speakers and other surprises are planned, she added.<\/p>\n Tampa Theatre\u2019s $30 million dollar restoration started in the spring. Over the last few months, the venue has offered hard hat tours where members can see the progress on a restoration that has uncovered historical artifacts from the theater\u2019s past. Many of those relics\u2014including a burgundy tapestry from the 1926 opening\u2014were also restored and put back in their original places.<\/p>\n Stars in the theater\u2019s signature night sky were also upgraded. The theater also found another piece of vintage hardware that\u2019s been restored and will be in operation for the reopening.<\/p>\n \u201cThe building opened with a cloud machine 100 years ago that projected these little wispy clouds across the sky. That as you sat and watched a show, they would just kind of drift by as the show went on,\u201d Witecki explained.<\/p>\n It was hard to find a company that could restore the 1920s machine, but they got it working, then added another cloud machine from the \u201850s or 60s. Stage Manager & Technical Director Lloyd Pearson got them both up and running at the same time.<\/p>\n The extra effort is not surprising coming from a Tampa Theatre team that was shooting for the stars on this renovation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen folks come in on October 15, those little lazy clouds will be headed across the sky,\u201d Witecki said. \u201cThey\u2019re all these tiny subtle little things, but the overall effect of all of it is just completely overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>|\u00a0BlueSky<\/a><\/p>\n This article appears in August 20 \u2013 26, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t