When Elvis Presley played the Florida Theatre in August 1956, a juvenile court judge was ready to step in over what the shows might do to local teenagers. The building was already a landmark by then. It opened on April 8, 1927, as the largest theatre in Florida, a Mediterranean Revival movie palace built by the theater arm of Paramount Pictures.
Television and the suburbs slowly emptied it, and it closed in 1980. A preservation push led by the city saved it. A nonprofit bought the building in 1981, it joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and it reopened after a full restoration in 1983.
Comedy on Forsyth Street
Today the theatre seats about 1,900 across the orchestra, loge and balcony, and it books a steady run of touring comics, from stand-up veterans with new specials to big online names. The house asks everyone to stay seated during comedy shows, and the whole building is cashless.
Parking Near the Theatre
The theatre has no lot of its own. It says more than 1,600 parking spaces sit within a block in any direction, and street parking is free after 6 p.m. and on weekends. Its preferred garage is the Yates Building Garage, across the Forsyth and Newnan intersection, with the entrance behind the building on East Adams Street. Riders can be dropped off out front on Forsyth Street.
At the Door
Everyone goes through bag checks and metal detectors. Backpacks and large bags with lots of pockets are not allowed, and neither is outside food or drink. Doors usually open an hour before showtime, and anyone two and older needs a ticket.
The bars pour beer, wine and liquor and sell light snacks, but there is no hot food. Discreet phone photos for personal use are allowed at most shows, never with flash, though any artist can change that for a night. Check your ticket for the night's rules.
Seats and Access
There is no elevator, so the loge and balcony are stairs only. All accessible seating is on the orchestra level, with a clear path from the Forsyth Street doors and spots at every price level. An assistive listening system is free from the house manager, and ASL interpreters can be arranged with two weeks' notice through the box office.
Before and After
The theatre is the center of the Elbow, downtown's nightlife district, which counts more than 20 bars, restaurants and venues within a few blocks. The Albatross is a block toward the river on Bay Street. More downtown rooms are on the downtown area page.