Florida Theatre
235 W. University Avenue,
Gainesville,
FL
32601-5211
235 W. University Avenue,
Gainesville,
FL
32601-5211
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favorited this theater
Additional Info
Styles: Colonial Revival
Previous Names: Great Southern Music Hall
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News About This Theater
- Mar 2, 2010 — Happy 45th, "The Sound Of Music"
The Florida Theatre opened on September 10, 1928 with John Gilbert in “Four Walls”. It was the first Gainesville theatre to offer sound movies as it was equipped with Vitaphone. By the 1970’s it was still screening movies having been renamed Great Southern Music Hall. It served as Gainesville’s main movie theatre for nearly 40 years. Later converted to a music and concert hall. It had closed by early-2023.
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Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
The Florida was still operating at full steam when I was a student at the University of Florida from 1969 through 1973.
Did a sight visit in Feb 2023 to the Florida. The exterior appeared to be in very bad shape. What was I could seen through the closed doors, the interior didn’t look much better. The Music Hall website claims it is permanently closed.
Grand opening ad posted.