The Byrd Theatre

Observing our 90th Anniversary in 2019, the Byrd Theatre is celebrated in Richmond, Virginia as one of our nation’s Grand Movie Palaces and today is both a State and National Historic landmark. The 1,200-seat Byrd Theatre is named after William Byrd, one of the founders of Richmond, and is one of the nation’s finest cinema treasures.
Unlike many opulent theatres built during the 1920s and 30s in the United States, the Byrd Theatre has survived the past 90+ years largely unaltered in appearance or function, operating almost continuously since 1928 as a movie theatre. The first movie shown at the Byrd on Christmas Eve, 1928, was Waterfront, a silent movie with sound added. Patrons paid 25 cents for a matinee and 50 cents for an evening movie.
In 2007, a purchase agreement for The Byrd Theatre was reached with the Samuel Warren family by The Byrd Theatre Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, with the express purpose of purchasing, restoring and preserving this theatre as a vital community resource. The Foundation works to integrate cultural, educational and community events into the Theatre’s programming.