Ritz Theatre & Lavilla Museum in Jacksonville, FL

The Ritz Theatre & La Villa Museum in Jacksonville, Florida is known as the "Harlen of the South" and has a refurbished museum and theater. It's dedicated to showcasing art, music, drama, poetry and history of La Villa's African-American community.

The establishment has been around for more than 140 years. From 1861 to 1887 La Villa was an independent and culturally diverse city where African-Americans held many senior positions in the city. This is partially due to the fact that many former slaves began to live their free lives in the Northeast Florida plantation of La Villa.

After segregation disintegrated in the 1960s, middle to upper class African-Americans moved to other areas of the city. Historic building began to deteriorate, including the Ritz.

In the 1990s funds were made available to revitalize the La Villa neighborhood thanks to the City of Jacksonville's River City Renaissance initiative. And so the Ritz Theatre and La Villa Museum was born.

The theater seats 400 and has a 30-foot by 40-foot stage. It features African-American shows and educational performances. The first Friday of every month the Ritz Theater hosts "Amateur Night at the Ritz" where people get to showcase their talents. Who goes home with the prize is determined by the cheers and boos of the audience.
La Villa Museum has numerous exhibits related to the history of African-Americans in Northwest Florida. It's filled with photographs and artifacts.

The first Thursday of every month the lobby of the Ritz Theater and La Villa Museum becomes a gathering of artists, writers and those who enjoy poetry, storytelling and music. This gathering, known as the Spoken Word, is full of open-mic performances by anyone who has words to share.