05/13/2026
The Miami Design Preservation League recently received some lovely photographs spotlighting interior details of Miami Beach’s beloved Colony Theatre from realtor Lila Bobick. We love to share your photos of contributing historic architecture — keep them coming! What’s more, this may give us an opportunity to revisit a building’s history. The Colony first opened on Jan. 25, 1935 for Paramount Pictures in the Art Deco style.
During World War II, when Miami Beach served as one of the nation’s military centers (see this week’s Trivia Tuesday post), the Colony screened health, training and news films.
After the war, the Colony was transformed into a performing arts venue before returning to its movie house roots in the 1960s, when architect Morris Lapidus redesigned Lincoln Road in the MiMo architectural style and shifted the theater’s entrance to the corner of Lenox Avenue.
In 1982, following the City of Miami Beach’s acquisition of the property, the Miami Beach Development Corporation proposed converting the Colony into a multi-use cultural center. The proposal received MDPL support because the project would help catalyze Lincoln Road’s revitalization. The restoration even featured custom lobby carpeting designed by one of MDPL’s founders, Leonard Horowitz.
Decades later, the Colony underwent another major restoration, led by R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, and with help from a federal Save America’s Treasures grant. The theater regained its Art Deco grandeur while modernizing its stage and technical capabilities.
It remains a landmark of Miami Beach architecture and culture and since 2016, Miami New Drama has been the resident theater company at the Colony. Shown here are: 1) a photograph of military personnel visiting the theater from the Cinema Treasures page for the Colony Theatre; 2) three interior photos from Lila Bobick; 3) a 1982 MDPL letter supporting the restoration project; and 4) & 5) are another two photos of the Colony Theatre’s exterior from Cinema Treasures.
