If your idea of dinner and a show is “eat, clap, leave,” Secret Spaces is here to take it up a notch. The Rooted Door’s immersive series returns to Tampa for three weekends, August 22–September 7, transforming a historic church at 1605 N. Nebraska Ave. into an experience of performances, live music, and storytelling layered through Tampa’s past. It’s a night out that feels like stepping into a living chapter of local history.
What you’ll step into at Secret Spaces
This year’s edition takes place inside the nearly 10,000-square-foot church, transformed into a maze of “secret rooms.” Guests move in small groups, discovering pop-up vignettes from actors, musicians, and dancers. Each scene is inspired by the immigrant communities that shaped Tampa, from Ybor City to West Tampa to Central Avenue, spanning eras from the early 1900s to the 1960s. It’s designed less like a seated show and more like a choose-your-own-adventure, where the city’s stories meet your curiosity.
Your night begins in a Welcome Lounge, evoking the opulence of the old Tampa Bay Hotel, with handcrafted cocktails available for purchase. From there, the experience unfolds in 90-minute windows: Fridays at 6, 7:30, and 9 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays at 4:30, 6, 7:30, and 9 p.m. Pick a slot, wear comfortable shoes, and expect to wander.
Food, drinks, and the extras
Because great stories pair well with great drinks, the series includes signature cocktails and a special Secret Spaces menu next door at partner Hotel Haya. A themed dinner and light bites extend the experience and support local arts programming through The Rooted Door. (Yes, you can make it a full date night.)
Secret Spaces is both a spectacle and a love letter to Tampa’s layered identities, told by local artists and staged in the former Greater New Salem Primitive Baptist Church. Turning that historic space into a living storybook lets the city’s past breathe louder for a new audience. It’s also a rare chance to see a landmark from the inside while it’s transformed for the weekend.
What you need-to-know for the event
The series runs Fridays through Sundays, Aug. 22–Sept. 7. Tickets are $81.88, with advance purchase recommended. For event details, themes, partners, showtimes, and tickets, visit the official page…