Detailed Information

The theatre and adjoining office/retail building was built by local Lakeland businessman John E. Melton, who entered into an agreement with the Famous Players-Laskey Corporation to program the theatre.

The theatre’s auditorium was designed in an Atmospheric style with an Italian villa theme by Italian-born architect James E. Casalé, whose offices were located in the Tampa Theatre and Office Building in downtown Tampa.

Casalé must have been at least partially influenced by John Eberson’s masterful design of the Tampa Theatre (opened 1926), to which Casalé’s response was to design a theatre in the same Atmospheric style but featuring the theme of his home country of Italy – all within the constraints of a smaller budget and needing to fill a much larger auditorium.

Construction commenced in early 1927. Melton built the four-story theatre building with an adjoining two-story office building, the overall project being called the Melton Theatre Building. As the building was being constructed Melton ran short of funds and the theatre didn’t open as planned in April 1927 when it was completed.

In September 1927, Melton sold the building to an intermediary real estate company that it turns out he had a stake in, however it didn’t solve his financial problems and so in October 1928 the theatre portion of the building was sold to the Polk Theatre Corporation. Melton retained control of the office building.

The Polk Theatre enjoyed its golden years from its opening until the early 1950s, when the rise of television and a move of previously city-based populations to the suburbs took hold of America. Despite this, the Polk Theatre held firm and continued to operate albeit to a continually dwindling audience.

Following the decrease in theatre audiences of the 1970s and early 1980s that resulted in the ultimate closure of the theatre, in 1982 a concerned group of citizens organized a nonprofit and secured enough financing to purchase the theatre. A major restoration of the building was completed in October 1999.

As of 2025 the nonprofit Polk Theatre, Inc. continues to own, manage, and operate the theatre – now with roughly 1,200 seats – supported by revenue from films, a performing arts series, multiple fundraisers each year, rental income, and memberships.