The historic Martin Theatre is located in downtown Panama City, FL. The theatre was initially built as “The Ritz” in 1936 and was visited by notable guests such as Clark Gable, Rhett Butler, and others. The Martin family purchased the theatre in the 1950s when it was renamed and renovated with a state-of-the-art cinemascope and marquee. After closing in 1978, the theatre was purchased by Panama City Downtown Improvement Board in an effort to revive the once-thriving venue. In 2018, the marquee was devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Michael. In 2021, the marquee was completely rebuilt from the ground up by Ace Sign Co. of Springfield, IL. The once wood-framed marquees were artfully rebuilt with steel framing and aluminum cladding. The marquee features over 1,500 feet of neon tubing, large flanking 10mm LED Displays, and a one-of-kind round digital/analog clock.
