The history of the Seminole Theatre dates back to the early 1920's when a Homestead pioneer by the name of James Washington English, along with Henry Booker, Sr., built the theater on Krome Avenue in the center of downtown Homestead. The theatre originally opened on November 26, 1921 as a cinema, primarily showing the then popular silent movies. The Seminole Theatre quickly became the place to go for entertainment and social gatherings.

In March 1940, a fire nearly devastated the Seminole Theatre. By August 1940, the Seminole was ready to open again. Still the only indoor cinema from the Upper Keys to South Miami, the Seminole Theatre continued as the center of social and cultural life in the region.
The popularity of the theatre could also be attributed to the tremendous growth of the Homestead community around the time of World War II. The theatre also presented live musical performances and live entertainment, including the annual Fruit Festival Queen pageant and Betty Crocker cooking demonstrations.

By the late 1960's, many cities, including Homestead, had begun to experience a decline in the popularity of their downtown districts as an entertainment hub. Downtown buildings were aging and homeowners were migrating to the suburbs.

The theatre operated as a rental movie house during the 1970's and offered Spanish language films for the growing Hispanic population in the area. Unfortunately, low ticket sales forced the theatre to close in 1979. The theatre sat idle in the years that followed. Eventually, the technical equipment became useless and its once elegant interior fell into a dilapidated state. After the devastation of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the theatre appeared to have met its demise. Fortunately, the theatre's historical designation has paved the way for its survival.