Hippodrome State Theatre

Hippodrome State Theatre is a three-story Beaux-Arts building in downtown Gainesville housing a 276-seat thrust stage and a 75-seat cinema. The structure originally served a different purpose before becoming a professional performing arts venue.

The building was constructed in 1911 as a U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. It was transformed into a professional theatre in 1979 and has operated as a performance venue since then.

The venue screens more than 700 films each year and runs an art gallery showing works by Florida artists with no admission charge. Visitors often explore these exhibitions while attending performances in the building.

The building features one of Florida's earliest operating elevators, which uses a manual hand-crank system for operation. Visitors should allow extra time to experience this working piece of mechanical history.

The theatre has collaborated with renowned playwrights including Tennessee Williams and Paula Vogel to create over 100 world premiere productions. These collaborations have placed the venue in the history of American theatre.

Location: Gainesville

Inception: 1911

Architectural style: Beaux-Arts

GPS coordinates: 29.64917,-82.32417

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:00