Saenger Theatre (Pensacola, Florida)
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| Address | 118 South Palafox Place Pensacola, Florida United States |
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| Owner | City of Pensacola |
| Operator | SMG |
| Opened | 1925 |
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Saenger Theatre
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| Coordinates | 30°24′37″N 87°12′53″W / 30.41028°N 87.21472°WCoordinates: 30°24′37″N 87°12′53″W / 30.41028°N 87.21472°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | Emile Weil |
| Architectural style | Spanish Baroque architecture |
| NRHP Reference # | 76000596 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 1976 |
The Saenger Theatre, also known as the Saenger Theater, is a historic theater in Pensacola, Florida. It is located at 118 South Palafox Place. On July 19, 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
In 1989, the Saenger Theater was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture, published by the University of Florida Press.
The theatre, often referred to as the Grand Dame of Palafox was first built in 1925 and was designed by architect Emile Weil in the style known as Spanish Baroque architecture. This style was selected due to the extensive Spanish history of the Pensacola area. Mr. Weil is also known for designing theaters in Mobile, Alabama, as well as New Orleans and Shreveport, both of Louisiana.
Construction began on top of the same site where the old Pensacola Opera House originally stood, which was destroyed by the 1917 Pinar del Río hurricane. The Saenger was built with the very bricks which housed the original opera house as well as the railings. The overall cost to build the Saenger was a total of $500,000 and was constructed by C.H. Turner Company, General Contractors.
The building not only featured a Robert Morton organ which currently is in reconstruction, but also 2,250 leather-backed seats, extravagant chandeliers and more than eight pounds of silver for its silver screen. The Saenger also boasted using "Dr. Mendenhall's new transvertical non-statical projectographic machine" as the projector.
Doors to the Saenger opened on April 2, 1925 to "The Star-Spangled Banner" followed by the "Dance of Old Seville," performed by a local dance class as well as a solo sung by yet another member of the community. The main event, which was Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, was finally shown which completed their sold-out grand opening day.
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