Renovations on the historic Coleman Theatre in downtown Miami, Okla., are 90 to 95 percent finished, reported KSNF-KODE-TV.
Theater officials fixed the roof, installed new safety measures, and updated of its original Wurlitzer organ.
The restoration of the northeastern Oklahoma landmark has come a long way:
Director Barbara Smith remembers the 75th anniversary in 2004 when that wasn’t the case. “We still didn’t have our seats. They had springs sticking up and no carpet.”
An Adopt A Seat program filled the main floor of the theater, and a generous donation from a transplanted Miami native finished the balcony.
“$250,000 that we didn’t have to match!” added Smith. She estimated renovations have totaled $7 – 8 million which has meant a lot of fundraising.
The renovations have allowed the Coleman to now host conferences, dances, and other events, in addition to live shows and the occasional vintage movie.
Guided tours of the Coleman have landed on the itineraries of many Route 66 tourists over the years. Visitors get to experience the theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer:
The Coleman was built in 1929 by mining tycoon George Coleman. In the 1990s, it appeared to be a candidate for the wrecking ball, until local volunteers took it upon themselves to rejuvenate the landmark.