Last week I had the good fortune to get a tour of downtown Pulaski with Dr. John B. White, who is the Director of Economic Development in the Town of Pulaski. White gave me some history about the town as we walked from one block to another in the downtown area, but I was especially excited to get a glimpse at renovations ongoing in the Pulaski Theatre.

I, like many of you, have traveled by the Pulaski Theatre numerous times and wondered, “Is this thing ever going to open up again?” Well the answer is yes, and it should be opening at some point before the end of summer.

The venerated old theater opened in 1911 as a Vaudeville house known as The Elks Theater and reopened in 1937 with the name The Pulaski Theatre and the tagline of “The Showplace of Southwest Virginia.” The theater’s popularity began to wane in the 1970s and finally shut its doors in 1991.

The building fell into disrepair and it has been a long road to bring the theater back to its former glory. Slipping past construction workers and making our way through the building’s renovations, White provided some history of the building and a glimpse to what the former “showplace” would look like when it reopened. The photo above is a shot from the stage looking at the new seats and other rejuvenation projects in the space where audiences will once again gather. In fact, the theater should seat about 570 people once the doors are reopened.

As progress continues on the Pulaski Theatre, check back here for more updates. I’ll stay in touch with the folks in Pulaski and pass along updates on this blog.