The Mighty Wurlitzer organ, a treasure of the Gusman Center, has delighted audiences since the theater’s opening night in 1926. The massive instrument, with three keyboards and 15 ranks of pipes, was designed by the Wurlitzer company to provide full orchestral accompaniment to silent movies. According to the American Theatre Organ Society, the Gusman Center’s Mighty Wurlitzer is the only 3/15 Wurlitzer in public use in Florida and one of only nine in the world.

The organ’s care and ongoing restoration are entrusted to the dedicated volunteers of the South Florida Theatre Organ Society. Since the theater was reopened by Maurice Gusman in 1975, the Society has donated thousands of dollars’ worth of hardware and leather and hundreds of man-hours for restoration and maintenance efforts.

Much work remains to be done to restore the full tonal capabilities of the instrument. The Society welcome public donations to help defray the restoration costs.