The 1,400-seat theatre was built in 1928 after the local business "boom" of the town had ended and despite the fact that the population was only 15,000 inhabitants.

Local citizens formed a non-profit group, borrowed money, secured a grant from the state, and purchased the theatre for $300,000.

[2] The theatre has a mezzanine, a high balcony, a permanent backdrop of a "Venetian piazza," an orchestra pit, a ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring.

The air-conditioning system, which was the first in the county,[clarification needed] was a pump that used artesian well water to chill the building.

This article about a property in Polk County, Florida on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.