Hippodrome Theatre, Gainesville, FL, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Hippodrome Theatre is a Beaux-Arts landmark at 25 SE 2nd Place in downtown Gainesville, Florida. Completed in 1911 as a federal post office and courthouse, it has been home to the Hippodrome, a professional theatre company, since 1979. It is a rare building that has served as both a place of law and a place of drama.

The story behind it

The building opened in 1911 as a federal building. The post office occupied the ground floor, while upstairs sat a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida. For decades, mail was sorted below while federal cases were heard above. In 1979 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse.

That same year a young theatre company moved in. The Hippodrome had been founded by local artists in 1973 and had already moved from a converted store to an empty warehouse before it found this address. A major restoration turned the old federal building into a theatre, and it reopened in early 1980 with a stage, a small cinema and a gallery. In 1981 the Hipp was named a State Theatre of Florida.

What to look for

• The tall columns across the front give the building its formal Beaux-Arts character, and they are the first thing that tells you this was built as a public institution.
• The front steps are a good place to pause and picture the building's two lives, with federal officials going in and out in 1911 and theatregoers climbing the same steps today.
• The scale and stonework of the facade stand apart from the everyday streetscape around it, so look at how the building sits among its neighbours in downtown Gainesville.
• Posters and signs near the entrance show what is currently on stage, a quick way to see how an old courthouse now works as a living theatre.

Tips for your visit

• Ten to fifteen minutes is enough to see the exterior and take photos, though more if you plan to see a show.
• Soft morning or late afternoon light is kind to the columns and the stonework.
• The Hippodrome is a working theatre, so access inside depends on performances and events. Check current opening hours and the programme before you go.
• The building is in the heart of downtown Gainesville, so cafes, restaurants and other sights are an easy walk away.

See it on a quest

Ghost Hunt in Gainesville, FL is a good way to see the Hippodrome if you like local lore. You reach the building on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in front of what you are looking at. One ticket covers the whole group.

Gainesville, FL Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. turns a walk through downtown into a detective game. The route brings you to the Hippodrome as one stop among several, the app explains each place as you get there, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Gainesville, FL suits anyone who likes a whodunit. You walk to the Hippodrome as part of a longer route, hear about the building when you arrive, and work out a puzzle right there. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like.