The Tennessee Theatre on Gay Street is one of the finest surviving movie palaces in the American South. Opened in 1928, it seats nearly 1,600 people inside a lavishly decorated Moorish-revival interior: gilded arches, ornate plasterwork, painted ceilings, and the original Wurlitzer theatre organ, which still plays before select events.
The theatre hosts a mixed programme of concerts, touring Broadway productions, classic films, and community events. Even if you don't attend a performance, it's worth stepping into the lobby to see the scale of the place. The building anchors Gay Street and is one of the best reasons to walk that stretch of downtown.