Royal Theater, Movie theater in St. Petersburg, United States.

The Royal Theater is a 1948 movie house at 1011 22nd Street South in St. Petersburg, built as a dome-shaped Quonset hut of fireproof steel and concrete by architect Philip F. Kennard for the Gulf Coast Entertainment Company. Its roof was designed to permit high acoustic fidelity, and the 700-seat auditorium now holds a 125-seat space with a 12-foot movie screen and stage.

This theater opened in 1948 as a movie house for African American audiences during the period of racial segregation and operated in that role until 1966. Afterward, the building was transformed into a youth community center, serving the neighborhood in a different capacity.

This venue served as a vital gathering place for the Black community, offering far more than just entertainment. It functioned as a social hub where people connected and shared their experiences during a time of strict segregation.

The Royal Theater stands at 1011 22nd Street South, on the stretch known as "The Deuces", and is listed in the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places. It is now the Royal Theater Boys & Girls Club, so the interior is a youth facility rather than a public cinema; the 2019 mural runs along the north wall.

The Sons of the Legion drum corps performed on the theater's steps during its opening in 1948, creating a memorable beginning for this venue. This outdoor musical celebration on the building's entrance steps marked an important moment for the community.