Ruth Eckerd Hall

About

Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, manages and operates the City of Clearwater-owned 2,200-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, the 200-seat Murray Theatre, the 250-capacity ballroom, Margarete Heye Great Room, the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts and the 750-seat Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre and Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road. In 2020 and 2023, Ruth Eckerd Hall was awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Tampa Bay Times.  In the most competitive category of small businesses (50 – 149 employees), Ruth Eckerd Hall was ranked #19 and was the only entertainment venue to make the list both years.  In 2022, The Tampa Bay Business Journal named Ruth Eckerd Hall a Top Workplace Honoree.  Our mission is: Changing lives through the performing arts.

Ruth Eckerd Hall was named the #1 venue in Tampa, #2 in Florida, #4 in the United States and #4 in the world of theatre venues of 2,500 seats or less by industry trade publication Pollstar in 2022. In 2002, 2008 and 2021, Ruth Eckerd Hall was nominated by Pollstar for Theatre of the Year.  In 2020 and 2021, Ruth Eckerd Hall was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Theatre of the Year.  In 2021, industry trade publication, VenuesNow, named Ruth Eckerd Hall the recipient of the 2021 All-Stars Award - Theater and Performing Arts Center. In 2022, IEBA (International Entertainment Buyers Association), the leading not-for-profit trade organization for live entertainment industry professionals, nominated Ruth Eckerd Hall for Theatre of the Year. Designed by the prestigious Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Ruth Eckerd Hall is known for its fantastic sightlines and near-perfect acoustics. In 2019, as part of the Capital Campaign, Ruth Eckerd Hall completed an $11 million renovation, which included a stunning three story floor to ceiling windows surrounding the new 6,000 square foot Grand Lobby, that is home to the Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton Cabaret Theatre and where patrons can enjoy enhanced food and beverage service, stunning décor, including additional seating, custom acoustical and lighting features and a 34-foot, 5-inch wide x 6-foot, 5-inch tall video wall. The members-only Hoffman Family Dress Circle Lounge has doubled in size, giving members a spectacular view and additional comfort, adjacent to the new Grand Lobby. Also included, the England Family Music Garden, a newly reimagined outdoor performance space located at Ruth Eckerd Hall’s east entrance, where guests can enjoy amenities prior to ticketed events.

The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, located in downtown Clearwater’s Cleveland Street District, was constructed in 1921 and is one of Florida’s oldest operating theaters. In 2022, industry trade publication Pollstar named the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre the #1 club venue in Tampa, #1 in Florida, #2 in the United States and #2 in the world of club venues with 800 seats or less.  In 2013, the theater underwent a complete $10 million renovation and is the catalyst for downtown development. In 2019, Nancy and David Bilheimer donated $2.5 million to Ruth Eckerd Hall as part of the theatre’s ongoing “Expanding the Experience” Capital campaign.  In recognition of the generous donation, the Capitol Theatre’s name was changed to the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre.

The Murray Theatre, located at Ruth Eckerd Hall, originally opened in 2003 as part of an education expansion of the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts. Through the generous support of Ray and Nancy Murray, a state grant and Capital Campaign donors, a $1.5 million renovation was completed, which includes state-of-the-art lighting and sound and a one-of-a-kind hand-painted mural depicting music, theater and dance. The Murray Theatre offers affordable, accessible, high-quality experiences to audiences of all ages.

The Sound located at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater, near the intercostal waterway, will open the summer of 2023.  Ruth Eckerd Hall will manage and operate this state-of-the-art music venue that features 4,000 covered seats, with an additional 5,000 seated lawn and an incredible view of the majestic sunsets of Clearwater Beach. In May 2022, the Clearwater City Council selected Ruth Eckerd Hall to operate The Sound music venue.