Key West Theater –
Performance Arts Center All the Way
After two years of preaching in front of the courthouse in downtown Key West, J.H. Breaker had raised enough money to build the First Baptist Church of Key West on Eaton Street. The church was completed on Jan. 2, 1849. It had cost $600.
But the church lasted only 17 years. A fire destroyed it in 1866 — a fire that may have been set by the pastor. The local rumor mill speculated that, having been humiliated for six months by the entire town over his wife’s publicly known affair, the pastor burnt the church down with the wife and 14 children inside it. In other words, there could be ghosts.
In 1990, more than a century later, the former church became a theater and hosted plays and musicals. But audiences often claimed that the smell of smoke was so strong that they left in fear, and the theater soon closed.
No other business occupied the building for many years, though not for lack of trying. Construction crews would work only a few days before refusing to enter the building due to “unexplained events.” Anyone who dared light a cigarette or flame of any kind would be shoved violently by an unseen force and their flame quickly extinguished.
The building was revived with pink and blue exterior to house the infamous Club Chameleon, which also closed, and the building stood empty and abandoned until 2015, when it became The Key West Theater. Now audiences can’t stay away.
The theater has hosted huge acts, like Kenny Chesney, Travis Tritt, Bret Michaels, David Crosby, Joan Osborne, Jefferson Starship and others. Jimmy Buffett chose this venue to do a locals-only show in February 2023, when he offered discounted tickets that were only available to those with a local ID.
The Key West Theater is located at 512 Eaton St. across from The Studios of Key West, which is home to its own particular set of spirits.
You can find out about upcoming events at thekeywesttheater.com, or calling the box office at 305-985-0433.