Historic Ritz Theatre

Downtown's Stage since 1925

Practical Magic

Gather your besties and come to The Ritz and enjoy the ultimate Halloween Chick Flick about spell-casting sisters who come from a long line of witches. Unfortunately, these likeable witches endure a genrational curse which kills the men they love.
Sounds like a call for a Ritz Signature Cocktail and a Union Pizza! Read more

Oct 29th, 2021 - 7 pm

Historic Ritz Theatre

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The Exorcist

Grab your friends - and your courage - and view one of the scariest movies ever made. Pre-order your choice of pizza online when you purchase your Ritz movie ticket here.
The theatre doors open at 6:30, and so does the bar.
Enjoy our special movie paired cocktail - "The Pazuzu" Read more

Oct 30th, 2021 - 7 pm

Historic Ritz Theatre

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Out of The Box Improv

Out of The Box Improv group and the Historic Ritz Theatre, two Winter Haven originals, are teaming together to bring improv comedy back to downtown Winter Haven! A cast of talented young actors create 'slice of life' theatre based on the audience's script scenarios. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing? That's right, they can't do it without you! Read more

Nov 13th, 2021 7:00 pm

Historic Ritz Theatre

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Our History

The Ritz Theatre has been downtown’s stage since 1925 when it opened as a venue for silent movies and vaudeville acts. First known as the “Williamson” it changed ownership in 1932 and was renamed “The Ritz.” For decades it served as Winter Haven’s only movie house. However, by the 1980s and the introduction of multi-screen theaters, the Ritz was no longer financially viable and went dark. During the 1980s it opened briefly as a nightclub for teens but by the 1990s the building sat vacant and deteriorating.

As with any building dating from 1925 the Ritz has a lively historical history. lts use included a venue for vaudeville and silent movies in its early years.

Contact Us

We would love to connect with you! Are you interested in Volunteering? Rentals? Upcoming shows? Tell us how to contact you to answer any questions you may have:

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Rentals

Flexible Multi-Level Seating

The Ritz theatre can comfortably accommodate over 450 guests. Our folding tables and chairs allow us to configure the venue for corporate conference style seating, or wedding and banquet style seating. There is ample room for VIP areas and even a dance floor. Click on “Read more” for examples of floor plans for your event.

Stage AV and Lighting

Our theatre is regularly used for live events and movie screenings. The sound system may accommodate your needs with a state of the art speaker system and a stage microphone is available. The Audio Visual system allows for internet streaming of presentations and slideshows on our movie screen. Our theatrical lighting adds flair to your event.