"We didn't want these to be gala-level tickets," Tampa Theatre's Jill Witecki told Creative Loafing in August, explaining why the centennial party would cost $26. "This is a party for Tampa because 50-years-ago Tampa rescued this building, and if they hadn't, we wouldn't all be here today."

As of this week, that party is sold out. The Centennial Celebration listing now opens with that notice in bold. The only remaining seats belong to Second Century Campaign donors claiming reservations.

That doesn't shut you out. The theatre built its return as a week of events followed by a packed October, and the sold-out night was always the hardest one to get into. If you live here, the better ways into the restored Duncan Auditorium are the free Sunday open house, the $13 weeknight classics and a Halloween series that has both screens running.

The reopening week, sorted by who can get in

The Duncan Auditorium closed for its centennial restoration in the spring, a project Creative Loafing put at $30 million. The attached Taylor Screening Room stayed open the whole time. The return is staged in layers. Each night opens the room to a wider group.

1. Friday, Oct. 9. A private screening for the families of the workers and contractors who have been on the job since March. You can't buy tickets for it.
2. Saturday, Oct. 10. The free Annual Member Party with a screening of Clue. Members can bring one guest and must RSVP by Friday, Oct. 9. The afternoon starts at 1:30 p.m., and the film begins at 3 p.m.
3. Sunday, Oct. 11. The public open house runs 1 to 5 p.m. and is free for everyone. Volunteers will be posted throughout the building, staff will lead mini-tours from the lobby, and a new Digital Guide on your own phone or tablet shows historic photos. At 3 p.m., retired CEO John Bell joins George Levesque onstage to talk about the restoration and take questions.
4. Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 12 to 14. Three classic films at 7 p.m. each night.
5. Thursday, Oct. 15. The Centennial Celebration, held 100 years to the day after the theatre first opened on Oct. 15, 1926. It's sold out.

Creative Loafing's August preview listed the classic films as "Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 12-15." The theatre's own event pages settle the dates. There are three screenings, on Oct. 12, 13 and 14, and Thursday belongs only to the celebration. The same preview called the Oct. 15 silent film a surprise. The official listing now names it as Buster Keaton's 1924 comedy Sherlock Jr., with music from the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra and the Mighty Wurlitzer, followed by the 1812 Overture, which was also on the 1926 opening program.

What Sunday's open house lets you look at

The open house is a self-guided tour with staff on hand, so it helps to know what changed before you walk in.

Look up first. In the Tara & David Ruberg Night Sky, new LED stars have replaced the old burned-out bulbs to bring back the twinkling effect, according to the theatre's restoration gallery. Watch for clouds drifting across that sky too. Creative Loafing reported that the theatre opened in 1926 with a cloud machine. The 1926 machine won't be on site. Stage Manager and Technical Director Lloyd Pearson got an existing machine running again, and a later correction says that unit is believed to date from the 1950s or '60s. The crew tried one modern machine, then two working together, and Witecki said the effect wasn't right.

The restoration also uncovered artifacts. A burgundy wall textile hung for the 1926 opening was restored and returned to its original spot.

Some changes are easier to miss because they make the building easier to use. The Tampa Bay Times listed refreshed exterior signage with new paint and better lighting, an updated concessions area, a new stage truss, upgraded theatrical lighting and audiovisual improvements. The plan also adds first-floor restrooms. The St. Pete Catalyst reported new restrooms and a new elevator for accessibility. Crews found a sewer line during the elevator work, which complicated construction, and the line was modernized.

Sunday also shows you what's still unfinished. In June, Creative Loafing reported that a later $6 million phase was being fundraised for the Peacock Room, a full organ restoration, more night-sky work and sound technology.

The weeknight classics cost half the party ticket

The party was priced at $26. The three classic-film nights cost $13 general admission or $10 for members, plus a $2 online service fee, and as of this week they're still listed for sale. You get the restored room, the new stars and the clouds, and a much smaller crowd than the party will draw.

• Monday, Oct. 12: Casablanca, 7 p.m., doors at 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 13: The Wizard of Oz, 7 p.m., doors at 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 14: A Night at the Opera, 7 p.m., doors at 6:30 p.m., with a talk after the film.

Witecki told Creative Loafing these nights make up for the summer classics series the theatre couldn't run during construction, and that guest speakers and other surprises are planned.

By late October, both screens are running at once

The day after the party, the theatre goes straight into stand-up. Bassem Youssef is on Oct. 16, Zoltan Kaszas on Oct. 17 and KevOnStage's Grief Sucks on Oct. 18. On Oct. 19, the Nightmare series starts with A Nightmare on Elm Street at 7 p.m. Standard evening tickets are $13, or $10 for members, plus the $2 online fee.

That small Taylor Screening Room kept the theatre's calendar alive while the main hall was closed. Now it runs alongside the big room. Several Nightmare titles, including Them!, Gorgo, Strait-Jacket and Burnt Offerings, play there. On Friday, Oct. 23, that adds up to four films in one evening. Legend starts at 7 p.m., Them! at 7:30, Clue at 9:30 and Gorgo at 10.

A few dates are worth planning around:

• Saturday, Oct. 24: The KPop Demon Hunters Sing-Along at 3 p.m. costs $17, or $14 for members, and it's free for ages 12 and under. The first 200 guests get an LED bracelet and a small popcorn. The Rocky Horror Picture Show plays at 7 and 11 p.m. the same day.
• Sunday, Oct. 25: Two versions of Dracula, the original at 2 p.m. and the Spanish-language Drácula at 4 p.m., with Young Frankenstein at 4:30.
• Tuesday, Oct. 27: Campfire Stories is a PG-rated storytelling show for families. It's $10 general admission and free for members.
• Saturday, Oct. 31: Hocus Pocus at 3 p.m., Halloween at 6 and Halloween III: Season of the Witch at 9.

The Ghosts of Tampa Theatre Tours are the other way to explore the building in October. They cost $15, or nothing for members. Tours run at 3 p.m. on Oct. 19, 22, 26 and 29, and at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23, 24, 30 and 31. The 11 a.m. tours on Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 are already sold out.

Dinner on the 700 block of Franklin Street

A 7 p.m. show leaves enough time for dinner if you stay on Franklin Street. Si-Am Thaimerican is right next door at 713 N. Franklin and serves tom kha, pad thai and Massaman curry. It breaks between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., then reopens for dinner, so early arrivals should plan around that gap. A short walk away:

• CW's Gin Joint, 633 N. Franklin St.: Dinner, cocktails, desserts and live music. Visit Tampa Bay lists daily hours of 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., which makes it the after-show option on this block.
• Nueva Cantina, 903 N. Franklin St.: Mexican food, margaritas and a patio bar.
• 514 N. Franklin St.: Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria is in Unit 101. Sunset Lotus, which opened this year, serves Chinese food, sushi and Asian fusion two doors down in Unit 105.
• Nosey Goat Coffee, 212 E. Cass St.: Coffee and house-made treats, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. That makes it a pre-show stop only.
• Naree, 1202 N. Franklin St.: A Thai kaiseki chef's counter with a 14-course tasting menu at $225 per person, open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Save it for an anniversary rather than a quick bite before Casablanca.

If you'd rather not leave the building, the remodeled concession stand sells candy, coffee, hot tea, beer, wine and cocktails.

For parking, the theatre points to the William F. Poe Garage at 800 N. Ashley Drive, about three blocks west, and the Royal Regional Lot at 1200 N. Tampa St., about a 7-minute walk away. Street meters nearby are enforced from 8 a.m. to midnight every day. The theatre notes that it doesn't own or manage the private lots next door.

The November calendar so far

Daniel Sloss plays Nov. 1. Hokus Pokus Live!, which was set for Nov. 3, has been canceled, and the theatre says refunds will go back through the original point of purchase. On Nov. 18, Blade Runner Live pairs the film with The Avex Ensemble playing Vangelis's score live, with tickets from $29.50 to $99.50. The monthly Balcony to Backstage tours, which include a Mighty Wurlitzer demonstration, are scheduled to return in November.

If you want the history before the clouds start moving, the late Andy Huse's Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories came out Sept. 22 from University Press of Florida. It's a 272-page hardcover listed at $30.

At The Richards Collective, we're glad the movie palace on Franklin Street is open again for its second century. If the Sunday open house gets you thinking about older buildings with stories behind them, I'd love to hear what caught your eye. Sign up for Get Exclusive Homes Delivered to You and I'll send you properties with that kind of character before they reach the wider market.