Walks through Carytown are rarely the same – fresh window displays, revolving menus, and new events make each stroll an adventure in discovery. 

One building in this Richmond community, however, has been wonderfully unchanged for nearly 100 years.

Byrd Theatre, one of the country’s few remaining “Grand Movie Palaces,” has served the Richmond community since its opening on Christmas Eve in 1928. Recognized as a state and national landmark, this historic cinema is renowned for its architecture and fixtures. 

Designed by Richmond’s Fred Bishop in the French Empire style, the Byrd Theatre is flush with Roman and Greek influences. Gold and red adorn the interior giving it a luxurious look that defined the era when it was constructed.

The theatre is best known for two distinctive features.

First is its chandelier that is original to the building and still hangs above the auditorium. It’s about 18 feet tall and has some 5,000 crystals and about 500 lightbulbs, according to Benjamin Cronly, the theatre’s executive director.

The second, Cronly said in a phone interview with the Virginia Free Press, is “our 1928 Mighty WurliTzer organ, which was meant to play along to silent films.… We play that before every single movie as a prelude, we don’t do previews,” he said.

There is another feature of the Byrd Theatre, however, that is less well known: “We have a natural spring in the basement,” Cronly says. “When the builders were laying the foundation they hit a natural spring. They didn’t know how to stop it, so to contain it, they built about a 20 x 20 foot concrete room.… We just pumped it out into the public water system.” 

Owned by the nonprofit Byrd Theatre Foundation, the structure continues to function as it did when it opened – screening movies and holding special events. 

From original architecture and movie screenings to themed events and fundraisers, this theatre has earned its place in both history books and guide books. 

Notable events coming up

• September 20 at 2 p.m. – The theatre is showing “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” “We’re … partnering with 18-19 businesses throughout Carytown,” Cronley said, to sell “chocolate bars with 5 golden tickets in them.” The candy bars will be sold between September 11 and 19, with each including a raffle ticket.
• September 22 – 27 — The 15th Annual Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF). View RIFF’s website for movie lineup, tickets, and additional information.
• October 25 at 5 pm — “An Evening with the Mighty WurliTzer.” A fundraiser, with proceeds going toward the restoration and maintenance of the 1928 organ. The original 1925 “Phantom of the Opera” will be shown, accompanied by the theatre’s organ.
• Theatre Tours — Tours of the theatre are given Mondays from 2-3 p.m., Thursdays from 10-11 a.m., and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are required.