Hippodrome’s Historic Elevator To Reopen August 22

A year and a half after being shut down, the historic manually operated elevator at the Hippodrome Theatre in Gainesville, Florida, will reopen on August 22, WCJB 20 reports. The 112-year-old Otis elevator was installed in 1924, making it Florida’s oldest continuously operating elevator until January 2024, when it was taken out of service for safety concerns. The City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places Department and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs announced in February that the US$135,799 project to restore the Hippodrome’s historic elevator had begun and would conclude at the end of the summer. Hippodrome officials have announced that a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be help for the reopening of the historic elevator on August 22.