No longer the 2004 event
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Coleman Theater Due to unforeseen circumstances, Seminar 2004 will not be presented at the Coleman. Although no longer the place for the 2004 event, we encourage all to see this wonderful piece of history.
Situated in the heart of the longest stretch of main street located anywhere on historic Route 66, the Coleman is a landmark that is hard to miss. Due to it's place on the Mother Road, it is sometimes referred to as the centerpiece of Highway 66. The Coleman Theatre Beautiful (as it was originally named) is located at 103 N. Main in beautiful, historic downtown Miami. The Coleman Theatre was built by George L. Coleman Sr. in 1929 at a cost of $600,000. This opulent structure was designed by the Broller Brothers of Kansas City, Missouri. The exterior architecture is Spanish Mission Revival. Terra cotta gargoyles and other hand-carved figures adorn the building facade. The elegant Louis XV interior includes gold leaf trim, silk damask panels, stained glass panels, carved mahogany staircase and decorative plaster moldings and railings. The original carpet carried into its weave the Coleman family crest. A sample of this is on display as one of the phases of restoration is to commission carpet to match. The art-deco carpet that is serving the theatre currently is to be removed. At this stage of the restoration, the art-deco marquee that has served it for many years was taken down and replaced with reproduced portals as the theatre continues its road to full restoration. The metal Coleman sign on the south side of the building is original. Built as a vaudeville theatre and movie palace, the Coleman opened to a full house of 1,600 seats at $1 a seat, on April 18, 1929. Such notable celebreties as Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Jim Thorpe and fan dancer Sally Rand have graced this wonderful stages as well as on it's screen. The original pipe organ "The Mighty Wurlitzer", has returned home to the Coleman. The J.T. Peterson Organ Company of Fort Worth, Texas restored, refurbished, enhanced and completed the reinstallation of the organ in the theatre in 1996. The Miami community donated all of the $85,000 used to repurchase the organ. Because of this met goal, the Coleman is one of the select few theatre's in the United States that can boast the return of its original pipe organ installed in its original setting. In 1983 the Coleman Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. The Oklahoma State Historical Society placed a Route 66 Mini-Museum on the Coleman mezzanine in 1996.
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Page Last Updated:
December 21, 2017
