Coleman Theatre

The Coleman is the architectural showpiece of Miami and one of the great Route 66 buildings in Oklahoma. The exterior is Spanish Colonial Revival — terracotta tiles, twin towers, gargoyles, scrollwork; the interior is Louis XV — gilded boxes, painted ceiling, an enormous proscenium arch. It seats around 1,600.

It is open for free guided tours during the day (usually Tuesday to Saturday) and regularly hosts concerts, films and Christmas pantomimes. Silent-film nights accompanied by the restored Mighty Wurlitzer are a Miami highlight; check the schedule before you visit.

things to do sight architecture
A story
The Coleman opened in April 1929 — six months before the Wall Street Crash — built by zinc-mining millionaire George Coleman as a gift to his home town. Its 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer organ was sold off in the 1960s, tracked down in private hands decades later, bought back by the town and reinstalled. It still rises out of the pit on a hydraulic lift to accompany silent films.