The Tybee Post Theater: A 1930 Movie House Still Open on Tybee Island

Most small-town movie houses closed decades ago. The one at Fort Screven did too. Then the island brought it back.

The Tybee Post Theater is a brick building on Van Horne Avenue, built in 1930 for the soldiers who lived at the Army post next door. It went dark in the mid-1960s. In September 2015 it reopened after a restoration, and it has been a working theater ever since. Tonight it might be a film. This weekend it might be a band.

We're a hotel at the other end of the island. The theater is not a walk from us. It is still one of the best things on Tybee to plan an evening around, and this post covers what it is, what plays there, and how to get there.

What the Tybee Post Theater is

The building dates to 1930. Fort Screven was an active Army post then, and the soldiers stationed there needed something to do at night. A movie house was the answer. The theater took its name from the post.

The fort closed in time, and the theater followed. For decades the building sat dark. That changed with the restoration, and the reopening in September 2015 turned it into a performing-arts and film venue. Today it has a staff, a box office and an events calendar. It is not a museum piece. It is a room where things happen most weeks.

If you want the history of the neighborhood around it, our sister hotel Atlantis Inn wrote a good guide to Fort Screven on Tybee Island. The theater is one of the old Fort Screven buildings, so the two posts go well together.

What plays there

The theater's own site describes a mix of programming. It is wider than most people expect from a venue this size.

• Films. The lineup includes first-run movies, classics and children's films. A trip to the movies here feels different from a trip to a mall theater, and that is part of the appeal.
• Live music. Tribute concerts and singer-songwriters are common. The theater's site says it has live music almost every weekend.
• Comedy. Stand-up and other comedy nights are on the calendar.
• Talks and community events. The room hosts lectures and local gatherings.
• Dance and theater. Stage performances sit alongside the films and concerts.
• Holiday shows. The calendar fills with seasonal programs at the end of the year.

The schedule changes constantly. The theater posts its events calendar on its own site, and that is the place to look the week you travel.

Why it's worth the trip

Tybee has plenty to do by day. Beach, pier, dolphin trip, lighthouse. The evenings are quieter, and the options at night are mostly a good dinner and a bar. A ticketed show gives you something different.

A few reasons it works:

The room has a story. You are sitting in a building that soldiers sat in nearly a century ago. That is rare on a barrier island, where so much has been rebuilt.

It is small. A film or a concert in a restored neighborhood theater feels close and personal. Nobody is a speck on a distant stage.

It fits bad weather. Tybee is a beach town, and a rainy afternoon can sink a beach day. A matinee is a solid answer. So is an evening show after a day when the wind blew sand in your face.

It suits mixed groups. Some people in a group want live music. Others want a movie. Children's films and adult concerts both play here, so there is often something for everyone.

Where it is, and how to get there

The theater is at 10 Van Horne Avenue, Tybee Island, GA 31328. That puts it in Fort Screven, at the north end of the island. The Tybee Island Light Station and North Beach are in the same part of town.

Our hotel is at 16 Tybrisa Street, in the South Beach hub at the south end. From there the theater is about 2 miles away. By car, that is around 8 minutes. You can't walk it.

Here are the realistic ways to make the trip:

• Drive. This is the simplest. The run up the island is short.
• Bike. On a mild evening, the ride is pleasant. Plan for the return trip in the dark, and bring lights.
• Rideshare. If dinner is part of your plan, this keeps everyone relaxed.
• Golf cart. Carts have special rules on Tybee and cannot use Butler Avenue except at a few crossings, so the route runs on side streets. Rental companies set their own age minimums.

For more on moving around without a car, see our guide to visiting Tybee Island without a car and the walkability breakdown in is Tybee Island walkable.

Parking and cost

The theater's own site is the place to check for ticket prices and event details.

On parking, the City of Tybee runs paid public parking, and the rules and rates are on the City's parking page. They change, so check it before you go. If you stay with us, parking at the hotel is free on site, one car per room. That means your car can stay put through the beach hours and only come out for the evening drive.

Tips for going

A few things make the night go smoothly.

Check the calendar first. Look at the events page before you plan your day. Some shows are early. Others run late. Build dinner around the show, and not the other way around.

Buy tickets ahead for music nights. A weekend concert in a small room can sell well. If a show matters to you, book it before you travel.

Plan the ride back. If you drive, you are set. If you take a rideshare up, think about how you will get home after the show.

Dress for the weather. Tybee evenings can be cool in late fall and winter, and it can be breezy near the water. A light jacket helps on the walk from the parking spot to the door.

Go early and look around. Fort Screven is worth a slow walk before a show. The old buildings and the open ground around them give the area a different feel from the beach strip.

What pairs well with a show

The north end has more to it than the theater. A few things sit close by.

The Tybee Island Light Station is in the same area. It is Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse, 145 feet tall with 178 steps. Our post on North Beach vs South Beach helps you plan a day at the north end.

North Beach is nearby. It is the quieter end of the island, and the place to look for shark teeth.

For dinner, the north side has Sea Wolf Tybee at 106 S Campbell Ave, Sand Cat, Sugar Shack and Sundae Cafe at 304 1st Street. Sundae Cafe serves dinner only, Monday to Saturday, and reservations are recommended. Sea Wolf is about 2 miles and a five-minute drive from our hotel, so it works as a stop on the same trip.

If you'd rather end the night back at the south end, the Tybrisa Street strip is full of late options. Our post on nightlife near South Beach lists the spots.

A past show, for a feel of the room

We covered one concert here in September, the Wooten Brothers at the Tybee Post Theater. It was about one specific weekend. This post is the standing profile of the venue.

Where to stay

We are not the nearest bed to the theater. What we offer is a base at the south end of the island, steps from South Beach, with the pier at the foot of Tybrisa Street and the restaurant strip around us. Check-in is at 4 PM, and our special offers include 10% off a two-night stay and 15% off three nights.

This theater is a separate business, and we have no connection to it. We include it because we would send a friend there.

Planning a trip around a show? Check availability when your dates are set, and look at the theater's calendar first so the dates match.