Beach Theatre
315 Corey Avenue,
St. Pete Beach,
FL
33706
315 Corey Avenue,
St. Pete Beach,
FL
33706
10 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Florida State Theaters Inc.
Architects: M. Winfield Lott
Functions: Live Performances, Movies
Styles: Art Deco
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Nov 20, 2012 — After 72 years, St. Petersburg Beach's theater closes
- Aug 1, 2008 — Beach shows off old town charm
The Beach Theatre opened on January 15, 1940 with 528 seats. By 1950 it was operated by Florida State Theaters, Inc. Remodeled in the mid-2000’s, this Art Deco movie theatre is close to the pristine beaches of western Florida. In recent years it showed a mix of movies, plus some live performances. The Beach Theatre was closed in November 2012. In August 2021 it was purchased by new owners. In November 2021 renovations and restorations began, with a proposed reopening as a movie theatre and live venue in summer of 2022 with a reduced seating capacity of 160.
It was sold to a new owner on March 1, 2024 and following restoration, it reopened on July 18, 2025 with the documentary “A New Wave: Revival of the Beach Theatre” screening until July 21, 2025. Movies and live performances will be programed.
Contributed by
TC
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Recent comments (view all 39 comments)
The BEACH THEATRE was not a metal “Quanset” hut construction. I was the projectionist there when it was operated by Bill Eisenhart. This was during the time we ran every Marx Bros. film available. We also ran Laurel and Hardy films and played to a sold out house every Friday and Saturday. The booth had Super Simplex projection heads with RCA sound heads. It had Strong Mogul arc lamps and Kneisley tungar bulb rectifiers. It was a lovely theatre and could be re-opened again. ps: The concession stand had a MANLEY popcorn machine that looked like a juke box.
Paramount subsidiary Florida State Theatres controlled the Beach Theatre under a lease from 1941 until 1950, according to an item in the March 4, 1950 issue of Boxoffice. The Item said that FST had just cancelled the 10-year lease and that operation of the house would be taken over by the building’s owner, Stephen S. Girard.
This article about the Beach Theatre says that the house was only active intermittently during the 1940s, so it seems likely that FST leased the place primarily in order to prevent a competitor from getting control of it.
For Sale as of July 29,2021. Listing below with 15 photos including interior.
https://www.watsonrealtycorp.com/p/315-Corey-Avenue-Saint-Pete-Beach-FL-33706/dmgid_147935896
Has been purchased and the new owners are contemplating future use. https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/09/04/whats-next-for-the-beach-theatre-new-owner-wants-your-input/?fbclid=IwAR3G0yD_U3iqsnfFAAt0pk15GkMUVF3xbwLNa9ZHP1fWIk1yWuQGA7Zjp-M
Great little theater
On March 1, 2024, the Beach Theatre has sold again and will reopen back as a movie house later this year.
Here’s the latest news
Trolleyguy’s link above includes the official website and Facebook page for the Beach Theatre, which can be added to this page.
https://www.thebeachtheatre.org/?fbclid=IwAR0k0UHaZ21-wB6AYBXLZD5PoK7h9L5Regs3O8qOC7Sr8e2jnKxp5ZgrMWM_aem_Af0RGGu4iywb7ChhrcvU_5aUW5gamKO3I6Rbju-2F3ZbQ4dSDKUv61BkHkXguAa7_TosomDhx3SMZgHyxF5NoK6F
https://www.facebook.com/spbeachtheatre/
The website now officially states that the theatre will be open on July 1 2025. See the news here.
After a soft launch in early July 2025, the Beach Theatre held its grand reopening on Friday, July 18 with itself starring in “A New Wave: Revival of the Beach Theatre,” a documentary about the venue.