Edison Theatre (Closed)
Fort Myers, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Walking through downtown Fort Myers, the Edison Theatre still catches your eye even without its old marquee. The colorful Art Deco facade, with its tall vertical bands of pink and teal, looks like it belongs in another era. Even if you didn't know it had once been a movie theater, you'd probably stop for a second look.

The theater opened in 1941 and quickly became one of downtown Fort Myers' favorite places to catch the latest Hollywood films. Named after Thomas Edison, whose winter estate is just a few blocks away, it welcomed moviegoers for nearly four decades before closing around 1980 as newer multiplexes drew audiences away from the traditional downtown theaters.

Although the neon sign disappeared years ago, the building still wears its movie palace roots proudly. The streamlined facade has survived remarkably well, making it easy to imagine crowds lining up beneath the marquee on a Saturday night.

Movie fans may recognize the building for another reason. The Edison made a memorable appearance in George A. Romero's 1985 zombie classic Day of the Dead, where its distinctive facade helped create one of the film's unforgettable opening scenes. It's one of those unexpected places where roadside architecture and pop culture come together.

UPDATE: The Edison Theatre is now being used as office. 05-13

UPDATE: The theater building has been carefully preserved and now serves as office space, while its striking Art Deco exterior continues to brighten downtown Fort Myers. 08-26

Seminole Theatre (Demolished)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

Driving up Florida Avenue, you could still tell the Seminole Theatre had once been a neighborhood movie house. The tall neon marquee was long gone, replaced by a much smaller sign, but the old building still hinted at its glamorous past.

The theater opened in 1924 and later became a popular neighborhood cinema before finding a second life as a church. By the time this photo was taken, Praise Cathedral occupied the building, though it wasn't hard to imagine crowds once gathering here for a Saturday night at the movies.

UPDATE: The old theater building was demolished in 2016 after years of deterioration. Today the site is vacant. 08-26

Springs Theatre (Closed)
Tampa, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

The Springs Theater is in a pretty rundown part of Tampa on Nebraska Avenue. A while back it was being used as a place for bands to practice. There is a lot of great history to this tiny piece of the city. The theater was once part of a much larger resort and shopping area for people who visited the Sulfur Springs swimming area. The spring is now so polluted that the environmental divers are afraid to go in it. It gets so bad that folks tend to want to go to the Alpine Liquor Store next door.

The theater opened in 1945 as part of the Sulphur Springs entertainment district, back when families came here to swim, shop, and spend the day around the famous spring. Those days are long gone, and the spring itself has had more than its share of environmental troubles over the years.

Fortunately, the old theater didn't disappear. After years of neglect, the building was restored and given a new life as a professional recording studio and production facility, proving that even an old neighborhood movie house can find a second act.

UPDATE: The Springs Theatre has been beautifully restored and now operates as a recording studio and soundstage, while its classic theater facade still looks out over Nebraska Avenue. 08-26

Polk Theatre
Lakeland, FL
Photo courtesy Steve/Back on Tack

The glowing Polk Theater marquee has been a downtown Lakeland landmark for generations. Rising four stories above Florida Avenue, it's the kind of sign that makes you slow down and wonder what movies and performers have passed beneath it over the years.

The theater opened in 1928 as one of Florida's grand movie palaces and still welcomes audiences for films, concerts, and live performances. Step inside and you'll find an elegant auditorium designed to resemble an open-air Mediterranean courtyard beneath a twinkling night sky. It was also one of the earliest buildings in Polk County to feature air conditioning, using an innovative system that pumped cool water from an artesian well to make Florida summers a little more comfortable for moviegoers.

The Polk nearly became another lost theater as audiences drifted to suburban multiplexes, but local residents stepped in during the early 1980s and saved it from demolition. That's good news for anyone who enjoys old theaters, because they simply don't build places like this anymore.

UPDATE: The Polk Theatre continues to light up downtown Lakeland with classic films, concerts, and community events beneath its beautifully restored neon marquee. 08-26

Strand Theatre (Closed)
Key West, FL
Photo courtesy Paul Bauke

Walking along Duval Street, it's hard not to smile when you see the old Strand Theatre sign still glowing above the sidewalk. These days it's a Walgreens, but for a moment the illuminated marquee almost makes you expect to find a ticket booth and movie posters waiting inside.

The Strand opened in 1921 and entertained Key West audiences for more than 60 years before closing as a movie theater in the early 1980s. It later found new life as a nightclub and a Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum before becoming the Walgreens that's here today. Although the interior was extensively remodeled, the balcony remains tucked away above the sales floor, and the classic Spanish Baroque facade still gives the building the look of a grand old movie palace. 01-09

It's nice to see a business that understood the value of keeping the theater's personality. The sign still lights up every evening, and for anyone strolling down Duval Street, it's a reminder of when downtown theaters were among the brightest attractions in town.

UPDATE: The Strand continues to serve Duval Street as a Walgreens, while its historic marquee and vertical neon sign remain beautifully preserved. 08-26