Pensacola Little Theatre

The historical marker outside Pensacola Little Theatre ranks it among the oldest continually producing community theatre groups in the Southeast. The company has performed under the Pensacola Little Theatre name since 1937. After decades in a Quonset hut and a former Palafox movie house, it opened its current home in January 1996 with “The Wizard of Oz.”

The theater is at 400 S Jefferson St in downtown Pensacola, with seasons and tickets at pensacolalittletheatre.com. That home is the Pensacola Cultural Center, the former Escambia County Court of Record building and jail, designed by Rudolph Benz and completed in 1912. It once held the court, the sheriff’s office and a jail with gallows on the third floor. The county transferred the building to the theater in 1988.

The main stage is the Valerie Jones Russenberger Theatre, and the Cultural Center also houses other local arts groups. Productions run from classic dramas to musicals, and the nonprofit offers education and outreach programs. The theater says it reaches more than 10,000 people a year with the help of about 1,000 volunteers.

The building is ADA compliant, with an accessible entrance and restrooms. Ticket prices vary by production, so check the website for the current season.