Preview
Creation Date
11-8-2009
Building Name
Ritz Theater
Historic District
Ybor City Historic District
Description
Ritz Theater, Ybor City, Tampa, Fl.
The Ritz Theater opened in 1917 as the Rivoli Theater. In the late 1930's and the theatre closed for renovations and expansion and reopened as the Ritz Theatre. The 700 seat auditorium once featured Mediterranean Revival style decor. The Ritz Theatre screened its last traditional movie on December 31, 1965. After that it changed many hands till in 1988, the Capitano family purchased the building as an investment property and rented it out to the Masquerade Nightclub, which ran successfully until 2006.
The Ritz Theatre came back to life on June 26, 2008 after being closed for nearly two years. The Capitano family invested $750,000 to renovate the building and transform it into a four-room event venue. Today the Ritz Theatre hosts weddings, concerts, galas and more.
Contributing Building - Ybor City Historic District - Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and the National Historic Landmark District in 1989, NRIS and NHLS #74000641
Latitude, Longitude
27.96028889, -82.44283889
Keywords
Taylor, George Lansing, Jr.; Lance Taylor; Photographers -- Florida --Jacksonville; Photograph collections -- Florida -- Jacksonville; Commercial buildings-Florida-Tampa; Ritz Theater (Ybor City); Rivoli Theater; Masquerade Night Club; Historic district; Historic landmark; Hillsborough County (Fl.); Ybor City,Tampa (Fl.)