page_title: The Ritz Ybor
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: The Ritz Ybor / History
caption_attribution_description: English: In 1958
context_page_description: The Ritz Ybor is an events venue located in the historic Ybor City, within Tampa, Florida. Opening in 1917, the theatre catered to the Afro-Cuban community in the emerging neighborhood. Throughout the years, the venue was served as a cinema, adult movie theater, nightclub and concert venue. The theatre was transformed into its current incarnation in 2008; becoming one of Tampa's premier live music and events venue.
context_section_description: In 1917, the building opened as the Rivoli Theatre, a red brick building with a silent movie theater on the first floor and various apartments on the second floor. It was the first theater of its kind in the United States. In 1931, the building underwent an expansion and reopened as The Ritz Theatre. It continued to show a variety of standard films until December 31, 1965, when it transitioned to nude shows and XXX-rated films. 
  In September 1983, developer William E. Field purchased the building and remodeled it once again. Field’s ambitions never materialized, and a bank foreclosure in 1987 forced him to close his doors. That same year, the building was leased to The Masquerade nightclub. As Masquerade, the venue saw the performances of a variety of rising alternative acts. In 1988, the Capitano family purchased the building as an investment property. In 1973 and 1989, Ybor City was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmark District, respectively. This building was listed as a contribution in both entries. In 2006, the Masquerade tenants were evicted. The building underwent a $2 million renovation and on June 26, 2008 opened its doors as The Ritz Ybor, a special events and live music venue.
  The building is located in the heart of historic Ybor City. The Ritz Ybor is a short trolley ride away from the Channelside district, two to three miles from downtown Tampa and a 15-minute car ride from Tampa International Airport. It is located within walking distance of the Centro Ybor Entertainment Complex and the Ybor City Hillsborough County Community College campus.
caption: In 1958
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2012:09:18 13:58:57", "Image Copyright": "www.TampaChanging.com", "Image ExifOffset": "196", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "334", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6932", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "960", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "745"}