The Tampa Theatre in downtown Tampa is a restored, grand "movie palace" that first opened in 1926. The theater is still in operation today, mainly showing classic movies and hosting film-related special events, concerts and social gatherings. One can even get married there with room for 1446 guests. Think about how the slide show and video part of the event will look on the big screen! It still hosts a huge functioning Wurlitzer theater organ, which harks back to the era of silent films. There is also a popular rumor that the theater is haunted.
Transport yourself back to the early days of cinema, when going to a movie was a trip to a foreign fantasy-land - be it Casablanca, Shangri-La, Bali Hai or even Civil War Atlanta. The Tampa Theatre is an early and well preserved example of an atmospheric theatre, which combined elements of exotic place and cultures in the architecture, often matching the films shown there. John Eberson designed the Tampa Theatre as an example of "Florida Mediterranean atmospheric" architecture.
Look for the birds and monster beast gargoyles peeking out from the alcoves of the darkened theatre. Try to figure out if the style is Italian Renaissance, Greek or Byzantine revival, or if the elements remind you of a Spanish bullfighting arena or an English Tudor castle. The answer is "all of the above" and that is why the Tampa Theatre is a great place to see a classic movie and experience the pre-multiplex, pre-DVD world of cinema.