Zinc and lead-mining millionaire George L. Coleman decided to bring a little culture to Miami and had a beautiful Spanish Revival Style theater build in his honor in 1929. This classic theater was used for vaudeville and movies alike. The Coleman theater has the distinction of never having closed its doors in three-quarters of a century. Though the Coleman Theater never closed, it did fall on hard times as so many theaters did in the past few decades. In 1989 the theater was given to the City of Miami by the family of George Coleman, and has since undergone extensive restoration.The beautiful Spanish Revival design makes the Coleman Theater stand out in downtown Miami. Over the years the original Wurlitzer organ disappeared. The city of Miami despaired of ever finding it again. But things sometimes have a habit of working out on Route 66. During the restoration process it was located in the collection of a Texas organ collector and generously returned to the Miami theater. Today the original Coleman Wurlitzer organ once again inspires audiences at the Coleman Theater.The exterior of the Coleman Theater is an architectural wonder, but it only hints of the magical world inside. George Coleman spared no expense when building his show palace. Beautifully carved stairs with guilded statues light the way. Ornate, colorful ceilings and splendid furnishings impart a fairyland effect in this theater goers wonderland.
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