Lyric Theatre
518 Elizabeth Street,
Waycross,
GA
31501
518 Elizabeth Street,
Waycross,
GA
31501
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This page from the University of Northern Florida’s Historical Architecture Gallery says that the Lyric Theatre was built in 1923. An earlier house also called the Lyric Theatre was in operation by 1914, when it was one of four movie theaters listed at Waycross in the American Motion Picture Directory.
To DirtRoadDivaFoto -If you took pictures, please post them if you can.
Had the pleasure of taking a very short tour today with camera in hand.. I found my new love… Inside old buildings.. I just love the “Lyric”.. and I knew it was going to be spooky as soon as we opened the door.. IT WAS FREEZING!
After looking closely at the pictures I took, orbs (aka spirits) appeared in the pictures of the auditorium, but not in the pictures I took of the lobby and stairs. Do you suppose I had company that day?
Stopped by the old Lyric in October, 2013. A front door was unlocked. Propped door open to get a little light in because I did not have a flashlight. Area between the front doors and the auditorium wall was only about 6 feet wide. Lots of derbis on the floor. Everything too dark to see around, but found auditorim entrance. Could see stage as light was coming in from some where, but all the side doors were closed. Stage looked very large. Took pictures with flash which turned out pretty good. Did not look like the auditorium had a lot of fallen stuff in it. Balcony stairway was littered and could not see to got up them. Kept hearing noises like curtains blowing in the wind, but saw no curtains. Will return again and will have a flashlight.
The Lyric was owned by Georgia Theatre Company, who also owned the other theatres in Waycross. I was in Waycross talking to a police captain that was part of the group that operates the ritz. He told me the Lyric was pretty well gutted and was owned by the same man who owned the city’s old hotel building. He told me How I could get in a back door but was unsuccessful.
World Premiere of the “Queen For a Day” took place on April 15th, 1951
Ad on this page at View link
and
View link (front page)
July 9 1969 a real nice ad on"WHERE EAGLES DARE" It was cut of a Preesbook, It was an ad for that film I had never seen before.
April 26 1970 and “THEY SHOOT HORSES DON’T THEY” is playing.
Try this site for a small picture. The thumbnails are out of order:
http://www.wayx.net/historicimages.html
This theater should have been the one to “save”.It is more intact than the gutted one.Waycross is a diamond in the rough.If it were a little closer to Jacksonville,it could come back from the grave it is in.I believe there was a 3rd theater downtown in the 50’s.Could the church use facility be it?I often went to Waycross in the late 50’s with my father on church affairs.The WWII airfield was still totally intact then and as a very young military groupie,I loved it.