Colony Theatre

1040 Lincoln Road,
Miami Beach, FL 33131

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Colony Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Paramount Pictures Inc.

Functions: Concerts, Live Performances, Movies, Movies (Film Festivals)

Styles: Art Deco

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 305.674.1040

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News About This Theater

Colony Theatre

The landmark Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach opened January 25, 1935, and was built for the Paramount Pictures Inc. chain and operated by their subsidiary S.A. Lynch. It was listed in 1950 with a seating capacity of 894. It is a glorious example of the Art Deco style, and one of the city’s most well-known examples of that style of architecture.

After decades serving as a movie house, the Colony Theatre was renovated in 1976 for performing arts. It has been restored again since, most recently at a cost of over $1 million. It is now owned by the city of Miami Beach.

One of South Florida’s most popular entertainment venues, the Colony Theatre now hosts a wide variety of arts, such as concerts, dance, opera, comedy acts and film festivals, like the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival every March.

Recently, the Colony Cafe opened at the theatre, serving coffee, liquor and light fare, as well as live music.

Contributed by Bryan Krefft

Recent comments (view all 31 comments)

ralvin3
ralvin3 on March 23, 2010 at 2:26 am

1961, my Mom and I saw Spartacus. It was quite an experience.

jeffsfonts
jeffsfonts on March 24, 2010 at 4:17 am

I’ve seen old photos of the Colony with an entrance directly on Lincoln Road itself. It was probably in 1955 that Florida State Theaters remodeled it with it’s diagonal entrance from Lincoln Road to Lenox Avenue.

The above-the-marquee signage lost its Plexiglass panels after 1965’s Hurricane Donna… and I remember seeing pieces of it up and down Lenox Avenue. In 1967 I (and a high school buddy) got dressed up in sport jackets and ties to look older – and we actually got in (at the age of 15) to see the movie “Candy” at the Colony…

When I worked at Miami-Dade Community College in the late 1970’s, one of the members of the graphics department was Frank Spaulding, who had been an animator with Fleischer – both in New York and in Miami…

jeffsfonts
jeffsfonts on March 24, 2010 at 4:19 am

I forgot to mention – if you look at the picture posted above – the wall on the left side of the image is where the original entrance was; pre-renovation build-out.

PhillipPessar
PhillipPessar on December 27, 2010 at 5:00 pm

A recent photo of the Colony Theater
View link

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on December 27, 2010 at 7:02 pm

Thanks for all the Great looking pictures.AClassy theatre all the way.

rivest266
rivest266 on October 16, 2011 at 10:31 pm

The January 25th, 1935 grand opening ad has been uploaded here.

Coate
Coate on March 17, 2015 at 4:57 pm

“The Sound of Music” premiered at the Colony 50 years ago today. With a reserved-seat run of 82 weeks, do you think it is the long-run record holder for this venue?

Also, on a related note, I would like to mention my new 50th anniversary retrospective for “The Sound of Music” can be read here.

bbin3d
bbin3d on November 30, 2015 at 5:44 am

The theatre reopened in 1955 and its premiere attraction was GUYS AND DOLLS. Remember seeing the poster plastered all over the outside of the theatre prior to its reopening. In later years I saw such films as SWEET CHARITY and MIDNIGHT COWBOY here.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on November 30, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Website: http://www.colonytheatremiamibeach.com/

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on August 20, 2018 at 12:14 am

1941 photo added credit FIU-Miami News Archives.

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