St. Petersburg’s Coliseum turns 100 years old this November. The striking building once known as the “Palace of Pleasure” is a unique reminder of St. Petersburg’s colorful history as one of the country’s leading tourist destinations. 

After the horror of WWI, Americans were looking for a good time and dances like the Charleston and the Fox Trot swept the country. Dancing was no longer reserved for stuffy ballrooms, and huge dance halls were built from coast to coast. In St. Petersburg, a group of builders and boosters, led by H.L. Winchell and C.F. Cullen organized the effort to build the Coliseum using the sale of public stock. The designs came from Thomas Henry Eslick. He was a world traveler who designed scenic railways and amusement centers across Europe, India, Australia, and the US.

The Coliseum’s Origin Story

The Coliseum opened on November 20, 1924—the same day as the Gandy Bridge. It was known as the largest dance hall in the South, with 12,000 square feet of uninterrupted white maple dance floor – 15,000 square feet if you danced in the loggias – and people did. The largest crowd to ever attend a dance at the coliseum was 3,300 people for the Sammy Kaye orchestra. The building looked a bit different back then. Two additional Moorish towers that originally graced the building were damaged and removed following the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. When it opened, the coliseum featured the largest wooden arches east of the Mississippi. Despite being more expensive than steel, wood was chosen for the large trusses inside. This improved the acoustics, which were compared to that of the famous Mormon Tabernacle. 

C.F. Cullen built strikingly similar coliseums in Tampa’s Davis Islands and Orlando. Both of those burned in suspected cases of arson in 1967 and 1972, respectively.

Just a few years after its opening, St. Petersburg’s Coliseum was leased and eventually purchased by band leader Rex MacDonald, his dancing wife Boo, and their partners the Kaleel Family. Remarkably, Rex was a banjo player in the band that played the Coliseum on just its fourth day. The Kaleel (also Kalil) family owned it until 1989 when it was sold to the City of St. Petersburg. 

The Coliseum stage hosted some of the biggest names in history

The Coliseum hosted all manner of events from dances and concerts to the Festival of States and Debutante Balls. However, it’s most famous for the big band legends that graced its stage including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Glen Miller. Not to be outdone, humorist Will Rogers poked fun at shuffleboard and real estate agents there in 1926. In 1942, screen siren Veronica Lake made the men swoon while promoting war bonds. For many years the Coliseum even had a free nursery for childcare while their parents shimmied the night away. 

The Coliseum missed the memo when similar venues across the country were torn down or converted into roller rinks and bowling alleys. St. Pete’s large population of retirees kept on dancing here. About 1,000 – 2000 people came every Wednesday and Saturday well into the 1980s and 90s. It famously appeared in the hit movie Cocoon in 1985. 

To this day, the Coliseum hosts galas, job fairs, home shows, comic cons, and community forums. And it’s where I vote! 

100 years after it opened, the St. Pete Coliseum is a gem from another age. Events celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Coliseum will take place in November. Including a performance by the Florida Orchestra and a slate of dances and concerts—just like the old days.

Want to dive deeper in St. Pete history?

Read more stories on St. Pete’s history here. To join Monica Kile for a historic walking or trolley tour of St. Pete, get your tickets here.