# Inside Jacksonville’s Historic — And Haunted? — Florida Theatre, Which Turns 100 Next Year

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/inside-jacksonvilles-historic-and-haunted-florida-theatre-which-turns-100-next-year/
- Published: 2026-10-30T23:48:02+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T00:12:52+00:00
- Original publisher: Billboard
- Original article: https://www.billboard.com/pro/indie-venue-of-month-jacksonville-haunted-florida-theatre/
- Topics: Cricket, Entertainment, Horror, Paranormal, Sport, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre turns 100 next year.
- Two balcony seats are kept in honour of the alleged spirit “J”.
- The venue is the only survivor of six cinemas once on Forsyth Street.

## Summary

The Florida Theatre in Jacksonville is approaching its centenary, with its history and reported ghost stories drawing renewed interest. The 1,900-seat venue, which has hosted performers including Elvis Presley, Fleetwood Mac and Bon Jovi, preserves two balcony seats associated with an alleged spirit called “J”.

Staff and visiting paranormal specialists have described sightings and unexplained events, including a figure or orb near Seat 2 in Section 500, Row E; the theatre does not confirm these accounts. Opened in 1927 as Florida’s largest movie palace, it is the only one of six cinemas once on Forsyth Street still standing. Renovations in 2020 updated its lighting, sound and video systems and replaced most seats, while the two so-called ghost seats were restored.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.