The Florida Theater - Jacksonville, FL
Posted by: 
lazyCachers
N 30° 19.586 W 081° 39.330
17R E 436985 N 3355139
Located on the corner of E. Forsyth St. and N. Newnan St. in downtown Jacksonville, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM3D3F
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/17/2008
Views: 37
The Florida Theatre originally opened to the public on April 8, 1927, as downtown Jacksonville's 15th—and largest—movie theatre. With lavish interior decor unmatched in Jacksonville, the Florida Theatre is the city's last remaining example of 1920's fantasy architecture and is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during this period.
Like many theatres of its day, the Florida Theatre was designed for both stage shows and motion pictures. A typical evening at the Florida Theatre included six program elements—the news, a comedy short, a cartoon or travelogue, an overture by the band on its moveable orchestra pit (with an occasional sing-along), a live stage presentation and the feature film.
One of the most memorable events in the theatre's history occurred in 1956, when Elvis Presley came to the Florida Theatre for his first concert appearance on an indoor stage. Presley, the City of Jacksonville and the Florida Theatre found themselves subjects of a LIFE Magazine feature when Juvenile Court Judge Marion Gooding sat through the performance to ensure that Presley's body movements would not become too suggestive.
Today, the Florida Theatre is home to about 200 different events annually, with more than 100 days each year used by local not-for-profit organizations. It serves not only as a permanent home for many Jacksonville arts institutions such as Theatreworks, the Florida Ballet, Jacksonville Ballet Theater and the annual Community Nutcracker, but also functions as a true community center, hosting special events, fund raisers, lectures, private receptions, conferences, school programs and corporate meetings.
Taken from The Florida Theatre website.