Tampa Theatre's Clouds Are Drifting Again for Its 100th Birthday

"When folks come in on October 15, those little lazy clouds will be headed across the sky," Tampa Theatre's Witecki told Creative Loafing in August. Those clouds come from a projector that is decades old. During the restoration, the theatre tried one modern cloud machine, then two running together, and decided the effect wasn't right. Stage Manager and Technical Director Lloyd Pearson got the existing machine working again instead.

That choice sums up the whole project. The Second Century Campaign, which the Tampa Bay Times described as a $30 million capital initiative, mostly recovers the room that opened on Franklin Street in 1926. It doesn't try to reinvent it. For anyone who lives within walking distance, the best look at that work comes on a free Sunday afternoon next week.

Seven Months Dark, One Week Back

The Duncan Auditorium closed for restoration on March 10, 2026. Films and events moved to the smaller Taylor Screening Room. In February, the closure was expected to last through the end of September. The schedule slipped a little. The big room now reopens in stages over the week leading up to October 15, which is 100 years to the day after the building first opened.

The three classic-film nights make up for a lost summer. The closure wiped out the theatre's usual summer classics series, so the venue is fitting a short run of them into reopening week. Creative Loafing reported that guest speakers and other surprises are also planned.

Why the Clouds Come From a Mid-Century Machine

The ceiling tells the restoration story better than anything else in the room. In 1926, the building opened with a cloud machine that sent small, wispy clouds across the auditorium's painted night sky during a show. That original machine won't be on site. The one guests will see is believed to date from the 1950s or '60s. Creative Loafing published a correction on that point after its first report.

The stars behind the clouds were updated with newer technology for the same old purpose. On its restoration gallery page, the theatre describes installing new LED "stars" to replace burnt-out bulbs and bring back the twinkling effect the ceiling was designed to have.

The building also gave back some of its own history. The theatre ran hard-hat tours for members during construction, and the work turned up artifacts from the building's past. One was a burgundy wall hanging from the 1926 opening, which was restored and returned to its original place.

"They're all these tiny subtle little things, but the overall effect of all of it is just completely overwhelming." Witecki, speaking to Creative Loafing

Behind the walls, the work was more practical. In early June, Bay News 9 reported that crews had started re-plastering and painting inside the Duncan Auditorium and had replaced piping and molding. The St Pete Catalyst described modernized plumbing and a new elevator, which is meant to improve accessibility and connect future education spaces.

What the Open House Shows, and What May Still Be Coming

The free open house on Sunday, October 11, runs from 1 to 5 p.m. It is the public's first chance to tour the restored Duncan Auditorium. Volunteers will be stationed throughout the building to answer questions, and staff will lead mini-tours starting from the lobby. A new Digital Guide, which works on your own phone or tablet, adds historic photos and information about the building's first 100 years. At 3 p.m., retired CEO John Bell joins George Levesque onstage to talk about the restoration and take audience questions.

Bring realistic expectations. The full project scope announced earlier this year was large. In February, the Tampa Bay Times listed:

• refreshed exterior signage, enhanced lighting, and new paint
• an updated concessions area
• upgrades to the stage truss, lighting, and audiovisual systems
• new first-floor restrooms
• education and archive spaces on the second and third floors

In May, 83 Degrees described plans to replace the seats and carpets to match archival photographs, along with new ADA-compliant restrooms. As of early October, there's no public report confirming that each of those items is finished. The open house is the easiest way to see for yourself. Some work is clearly still ahead. The Osprey Observer describes restoration of the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the Peacock Room, and stage accessibility improvements as upcoming projects. At 100, the building is reopening, but the work on it continues.

The Building a 4 to 3 Vote Kept

Tampa Theatre calls the centennial a thank-you to "the community that rescued this building 50 years ago." Here's that history in brief. In 1973, the theatre was slated for demolition. Citizens rallied, committees formed, and Tampa City Council made a deal to buy and preserve the building. It reopened to the public in January 1977, and today it is managed by the nonprofit Tampa Theatre, Inc. In a 2017 Creative Loafing essay, former City Council member Linda Saul-Sena wrote that the decision came down to a 4 to 3 council vote. One vote is the reason anyone is celebrating a 100th birthday on Franklin Street this month.

The October 15 program draws directly on that history. The party starts on the sidewalk at 6 p.m. with live music and swing dancing by The Jazz Phools, plus portraits in front of the historic marquee. Inside, guests get a souvenir program modeled on the 1926 opening-night original. At 7 p.m., after remarks from theatre officers and Tampa's mayor, the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and the theatre's Mighty Wurlitzer accompany Buster Keaton's 1924 silent comedy Sherlock Jr. The finale is Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, which was also part of the opening-night performance in 1926. Tickets were $26, and the event is now sold out. Second Century Campaign donors can still claim their reserved seats. If you don't have a seat, the sidewalk portion still happens in public view on Franklin Street.

After the Birthday, a Halloween Run

The restored room gets its first regular season of programming right away. "A Nightmare on Franklin Street" runs on select dates from October 19 through October 31. The lineup includes A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Scream, Hocus Pocus, and Halloween, and the schedule also lists Ghosts of Tampa Theatre tours. For anyone who missed the open house, these screenings are the next chance to sit under the restored ceiling and watch the clouds move during a film. That's the experience the 1926 designers had in mind.

The Block Around the Marquee

A show here is easy to pair with dinner or a drink without moving the car. The Tampa Bay Times' downtown dining guide from January 2026 lists these places within a few blocks of the theatre. Hours change, so check before you go.

• Si-am Thaimerican Restaurant, 713 N. Franklin St., a sit-down Thai restaurant right next to the theatre
• The Hub, 719 N. Franklin St., a longtime downtown bar that takes cash only
• CW's Gin Joint, 633 N. Franklin St., with food, a bar, and live music
• Nueva Cantina, 903 N. Franklin St., a Mexican restaurant and bar a couple of blocks north, which is also a centennial supporter
• Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria and Anchor Tavern, both at 514 N. Franklin St.; Bavaro's takes reservations
• Supernatural Food & Wine, 305 E. Polk St., with sandwiches plus beer, cider, and wine
• Little Tina, 507 N. Tampa St., for coffee and pastries before an afternoon tour

The street itself is due for its own work, though later. The City of Tampa's $6 million Franklin Street plan calls for more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, better lighting, pocket parks, and brick repairs along roughly a mile of downtown, with completion targeted by 2029. As of a July 23 city meeting, the project was still in the request-for-proposals stage. For this month's reopening, Franklin Street looks the way it always has.

At Gasparilla Gulf Estates, we pay attention to the landmarks that shape daily life downtown, and Tampa Theatre's second century is one of them. If you'd like to talk through what a walkable stretch of Franklin Street means for your own plans, we're glad to start that conversation. Contact Us.