The Park Theater

What The Park Theater does

The Park Theater is a municipally owned historic performing arts venue located at 115 W. Main St. in downtown McMinnville, Tennessee. Originally opened on October 18, 1939, by Cowan Oldham as a movie palace promoted as the grandest between Nashville and Chattanooga, the theater closed in 1986 and was eventually acquired and restored by the City of McMinnville through a $2 million renovation completed in May 2015. The venue operates with 559 fixed seats across the main floor (378) and balcony (181) and presents concerts, comedy acts, illusionists, theatrical productions, children's programming, corporate events, and community fundraisers.

The core product is venue access, with revenue generated through three streams: ticket sales (online via TicketSpice, by phone at 931-506-2787, and at the on-site box office), tiered venue rentals (for-profit, non-profit, local, and non-local organizations, plus concert promoters, with a $250 refundable damage deposit and 50% of rental fees due at contract signing), and concessions (popcorn, candy, chips, sodas, water, coffee, hotdogs). The technology stack is intentionally light: WordPress for the website and TicketSpice as the third-party e-commerce ticketing layer.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and event-driven, with marketing primarily through Facebook, an email newsletter, and the theater's own website. Programming is supported by two external partner organizations, Park Theatre Group (the driving force behind the renovation and an ongoing operational ally) and Warren Arts Foundation (which produces plays, musicals, and concerts). The theater operates with a small staff of approximately 11, led by Theater Manager Joe Harvey and Assistant Theater Manager Ashley Gillentine Wright. As a city-owned venue, the Park Theater is not a venture-backed or PE-eligible enterprise, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

The Park Theater

Legal name

The McMinnville Park Theater

Website

https://mcminnvilleparktheater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Park Theater is a municipally owned 559-seat historic performing arts venue in McMinnville, Tennessee, hosting concerts, comedy shows, and community events through ticket sales, tiered venue rentals, and concessions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live performance venue
• Performing arts theater
• Venue rental services
• Concert ticketing
• Event hosting services

Headquarters

HQ city

McMinnville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to performances and events held at the theater. Tickets are sold online, by phone, and at the box office.
2. Theater Rentals: Revenue from renting the venue to for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, and concert promoters. Different pricing tiers for local vs non-local organizations and for-profit vs non-profit entities. Requires 50% rental fee deposit and $250 damage deposit.
3. Concessions: Sale of concessions including popcorn, candy, chips, sodas, water, coffee, and hotdogs at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Park Theater operates a 559-seat (378 main floor and 181 balcony) historic Art Deco performing arts theater in downtown McMinnville, Tennessee, hosting public live music, comedy, illusionist, theatrical, dance and children's performances. The venue sells individual event tickets to the public through its box office, phone line and an online TicketSpice storefront, and additionally rents the auditorium to for-profit organizations, non-profits, concert promoters, and corporate event planners, with concessions (popcorn, candy, chips, sodas, water, coffee, hotdogs) sold during events.

Product overview

The Park Theater is a single-venue performing arts theater offering live entertainment including musical performances (all genres), theatrical productions, comedy, dance, and children's programs. The venue operates with a 559-seat capacity and generates revenue through ticket sales (via TicketSpice), venue rentals (with tiered pricing for local vs. non-local and non-profit vs. for-profit organizations), and concessions. The theater functions as a unified venue rather than a platform architecture, providing a complete live entertainment experience from ticketing through event hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venue Access (Live Performance Events) Live performance programming presented at The Park Theater's 559-seat auditorium — 378 fixed main floor theater-style seats and 181 balcony seats — including concerts spanning multiple genres, comedy, illusionists, theatrical productions, dance, and children's programming, available to the general public.
• Venue Rental Rental of The Park Theater's 559-seat auditorium, stage equipment, lighting and sound to for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, concert promoters, and event planners. Tiered pricing applies (local non-profit, local for-profit, non-local organizations, concert rentals); contracts require a $250 refundable damage deposit, 50% of rental fees at signing, and minimum $1,000,000 liability insurance with the City of McMinnville named as additional insured.
• Ticketing Services Sale of event tickets to the public through the on-site box office (Tuesday-Friday 9AM-4PM, plus one hour before events), phone sales at 931-506-2787 (931-506-ARTS), and online via the TicketSpice platform linked from the theater's website.
• Concessions Sale of food and beverage items at most events, including popcorn, candy, chips, sodas, water, coffee, and hotdogs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 559 total seating capacity with 378 main floor and 181 balcony seats
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Park Theatre GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA separate entity from the Park Theater that was the driving force behind the re-birth of this historical venue. Their financial and emotional commitment to this theater and the arts in general has been the backbone of success. Led the campaign to restore the theater and were instrumental in the $2 million renovation project.
• Warren Arts FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA group of hard-working artists in Warren County who give their time and resources to sharing a love of theater and performance with the community and region. They produce a variety of plays, musicals, concerts and experiences throughout the year.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Cookeville Performing Arts Center: A mid-sized performing arts center on the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau serving a similar regional audience. Comparable as an Upper-Cumberland live performance venue competing for the same demographic draws.
• Station Inn: A 1978-vintage intimate bluegrass/roots listening room (~200 cap) in Nashville's Gulch. Comparable Tennessee-based live music venue focused on roots/bluegrass; much smaller capacity and different delivery model but overlapping performer pool.

Direct peers

• The Arts Center of Cannon County: A small community performing arts venue in Woodbury, Tennessee (neighboring Cannon County). Comparable as a rural Tennessee nonprofit performing arts venue presenting plays and concerts for a similar demographic footprint.
• Franklin Theatre: A historic single-screen 1937 movie palace in Franklin, Tennessee converted into a 1,125-seat live performance venue. Closest comparable small-town Tennessee historic theater running a similar multi-stream rental/ticketing/concessions model and hosting touring acts.
• Tennessee Theatre: A 1928 restored movie palace and concert venue in Knoxville with ~1,800 seats. Comparable in historic-art-deco-heritage repositioning and touring-acts ticketing model, though at substantially larger scale.
• Bijou Theatre: A 1809-seat historic performing arts venue in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee operated by a nonprofit. Comparable in being a Tennessee-based restored historic theater presenting concerts, comedy, and community programming.
• Orpheum Theatre (Memphis): A restored 1928 historic theater in Memphis hosting concerts, comedy, and Broadway tours. Comparable historic-venue ticketing/rental model in Tennessee, though at significantly greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Ryman Auditorium: The 1892 'Mother Church of Country Music' in Nashville, a 2,362-seat historic live venue. Comparable through historic performing-arts venue positioning and ticketed touring acts; far larger and a much stronger brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mcminnvilleparktheater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-park-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Park Theater