Jill Witecki remembers the first time she saw a movie at the Tampa Theatre. Now, it’s her job to help others fall in love with the theater, which was named by the Motion Picture Association in 2013 as one of the top movie theaters in the world.
The theater hopes to raise $42 million in the coming months to allow for a full restoration of the theater before its centennial celebration in 2026. The theater is as historic as it is unique. It was designed by architect John Eberson and built by Paramount Pictures for the burgeoning film industry of the 1920s. The Tampa Theatre opened on Oct. 15, 1926. It has hosted thousands of screenings and shows since. The theater is known as an “Eberson atmospheric” since it features a realistic night sky with twinkling stars above the auditorium. Ornate sculptures and plasterwork decorate the walls and ceilings.
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