The Byrd Theatre

Some call The Byrd Theatre “the Crown Jewel of Richmond.” And it’s easy to see why; visitors will immediately feel the history of the theatre as they step up to the original box office window and grab a ticket for a regular-movie feature 365 days a year for $1.99. Wait, what?

Yep. The Byrd Theatre, in direct contrast to the magnificent spectacle of its original 1928 hand-painted, gilded, marbled, and tapestried interior, provides two-buck admission for family-friendly movies in order to bring the classic movie experience to the general public 365 days a year. The ticket prices are laughable, though, given how the theatre is painstakingly, meticulously original. Well, save for the lobby concession stand, which was added to replace a water fountain in the small lobby area. (Evidently, eating food in a theatre was considered tacky in the early days, when the crunch of popcorn would have been an ill-fitting accompaniment to silent films.)

The theatre has faced an increasing difficulty in maintaining its original grandeur, so fundraising is a central part of The Byrd’s operation. The Byrd Theatre Foundation has made many updates to the theatre, but restoration efforts continue in order to preserve this amazing piece of history. 

At $1.99 a ticket, that’s quite a feat.