Varsity Theatre, Martin

Martin, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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The Varsity Theatre in Martin, Tennessee, is a 1949 movie palace designed by the Clarksville-based architecture firm Speight and Hibbs. Built for the Ruffin Amusement Company and opened on August 10, 1949, it originally seated 1,000 patrons in an air-conditioned interior, earning recognition as the premier cinema in Martin and Weakley County. Named in honor of the University of Tennessee College in Martin, the building exemplifies Art Deco and Art Moderne styles through its streamlined exterior with rounded edges and horizontal lines, complemented by Art Moderne interior elements and Art Deco-style lighting and wall treatments. The theater's original design, constructed during the Jim Crow era, incorporated segregated facilities for African-American patrons, including a separate entrance to a balcony section and segregated restrooms. After closing in 1987 due to ownership changes, the theater briefly reopened in 1992 before its final closure in 1996. It subsequently served as a church from 1996 to 2002, then as a fitness center and physical therapy clinic. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in August 2010.