A horizontal, behind-the-scenes photograph of four individuals wearing dark green hard hats standing beneath metal scaffolding during a tour of the Tampa Theatre. In the foreground, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay co-owner James Howard, wearing a black t-shirt, glasses, and a beard, smiles at the camera. Behind them stand co-owner Anthony Carbone in a white button-down shirt, and spring 2026 interns Kailey Aiken and Jasmin Parrado. The group is standing on an elevated platform surrounded by grey metal construction poles. In the background, the theatre's historic, ornate gold-and-red painted walls are visible to the left, alongside a uniquely textured ceiling structure to the right.
(L-R) Creative Loafing Tampa Bay co-owners James Howard and Anthony Carbone, with spring 2026 interns Kailey Aiken and Jasmin Parrado at Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida on April 30, 2026. Credit: Ray Roa / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

For the first time in a century, Tampa Theatre superfans can touch the sky at the historic venue.

The opportunity comes as the theater’s big Duncan Auditorium and backstage undergoes a full restoration ahead of a centennial anniversary this October. Tampa Theatre’s smaller Taylor screening room remains open.

A small team from Creative Loafing Tampa Bay found itself on a tour last Friday, when staffers and interns got facetime with the theater’s taxidermied peacock (it’s in the lobby!), along with paint, plaster and venue guts that are being restored to their original 1926 glory.

A highlight of the 60-minute tour—available to members only—comes after ascending six flights of stairs to Tampa Theatre’s ceiling where the iconic night sky is also getting a facelift that includes new paint and an upgrade to fiber optic lighting. 

Upgrades will also bring a new educational wing to Tampa Theatre.

“This tour is not for the faint of heart, or the weak of knee,” Tampa Theatre wrote in an email to members last Friday. “And if heights aren’t your thing, you might [want] to sit this one out.”

Hard hats are provided, and just three already sold-out tours have been confirmed for May (with June dates to be announced soon).
Memberships to Tampa Theatre are open to anyone and start at just $50 annually. They include discounts on tickets, waived fees, free popcorn and soda refilled, plus perks like the tours.

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This article appears in Apr. 30 – May 06, 2026.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...