Ritz Theatre and Museum

Listen for the song Jacksonville sent into the world. The Ritz sits in LaVilla, the Black cultural district once called the Harlem of the South, where stages, churches, businesses, and street life produced an influence far larger than the blocks that remain.The present 1999 building stands on the site of the 1929 Ritz Theater. Inside, the permanent museum traces figures including James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson, whose work made “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” part of the country’s memory, alongside Clara White Mission history, Ellie Weems photographs, and the city’s Civil Rights story.Museum admission normally ends one hour before closing. First and third Thursdays extend into the evening, while Saturday and Sunday access is by appointment only; the conservative schedule therefore shows weekends closed. The venue documents structural and service accessibility, accessible restrooms and counters, and procedures for accessible seating and drop-off. More

Listen for the song Jacksonville sent into the world. The Ritz sits in LaVilla, the Black cultural district once called the Harlem of the South, where stages, churches, businesses, and street life produced an influence far larger than the blocks that remain.The present 1999 building stands on the site of the 1929 Ritz Theater. Inside, the permanent museum traces figures including James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson, whose work made “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” part of the country’s memory, alongside Clara White Mission history, Ellie Weems photographs, and the city’s Civil Rights story.Museum admission normally ends one hour before closing. First and third Thursdays extend into the evening, while Saturday and Sunday access is by appointment only; the conservative schedule therefore shows weekends closed. The venue documents structural and service accessibility, accessible restrooms and counters, and procedures for accessible seating and drop-off. More