Pensacola Saenger Theatre

Infobox nrhp
name = Saenger Theatre

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location = Pensacola, Florida
area =
added = July 19, 1976
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visitation_year =
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The Saenger Theatre is a historic theater in Pensacola, Florida. It is located at 118 South Palafox Street. On July 19, 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. cite web|title="National Register of Historic Places - FLORIDA - Escambia County"|work=NationalRegisterOfHistoricPlaces.com|url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Escambia/state.html|accessdate=2007-06-01]

History

The Saenger Theatre has been called the "Grand Dame of Palafox", but the Saenger Theatre is much more than a Great Lady; she is a survivor. Opened in 1925, its Spanish Baroque architecture, in opulent Rococo style took nearly thirteen months to complete.

In the early years the Saenger hosted a colorful array of Vaudeville-type road shows, Broadway plays, and silent screen classics. Later years saw use as a movie house until 1975 when the aging edifice closed its doors. That same year ABC Southeastern Theatres donated the building to the City of Pensacola as a cultural affairs center.

Through a joint effort by the city of Pensacola and the University of West Florida, the theatre was restored and returned to its standing as a center for the performing arts. The restoration project took four years and 1.6 million dollars to complete but in 1981 the theatre reopened and today is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites.

In 1995, the lobby of Saenger Theatre underwent major renovations including doubling the size of the lobby, providing better accommodations for persons with disabilities and restoring the lobby to the grand scale of its historic past. cite web|title="History"|work=PensacolaSaenger.com|url=http://www.pensacolasaenger.com/history.asp|accessdate=2007-06-01]

ee also

*Mobile Saenger Theatre
*New Orleans Saenger Theatre

References

External links

* [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Escambia/state.html Escambia County listings] at [http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com National Register of Historic Places]
* [http://www.flheritage.com Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs]
** [http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/places/index.cfm?fuseaction=ListAreas&county=escambia Escambia County listings]
** [http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record_t.cfm?ID=263&type=c&index=17 Saenger Theatre]
* [http://www.pensacolasaenger.com/history.asp Pensacola Saenger Theater History]

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