Celebrating culture, creativity, and connection.

The Marlboro Civic Center is a place where community comes alive.

We strive to be a welcoming hub for culture, education, recreation, and the arts—open to everyone. With a special focus on programs that celebrate creativity, learning, and expression, we aim to uplift and inspire.

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to enrich the quality of life for all who call Marlboro County home, while fostering unity, connection, and harmony in our diverse, rural community. Together, we build not just events, but experience that bring people closer and create lasting memories.

A Moment In Time

Rescued from its fate as an abandoned movie house, the Marlboro Civic Center stands today as the crown jewel of performance venues in Marlboro County. Originally built in 1917 as The Garden Theater, an opera house, it was one of the finest in the Carolinas. In its early years, it brought Vaudeville and traveling musical productions from New York to Miami. Later, it became a popular silent movie theater and, eventually a motion picture house beloved by the community.

After years of dormancy, the grand old building was broughts back to live throug a dedicated public/private partnership. Now proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Place, the Civic Center is a centerpiece of historic downtown Bennettsville's revitalization.

In November 1995, the restored theater reopened with a grand celebration, once again shining a spotlight on Marlboro County's wealth of talent. Since then, the Civic Center has continued to hum with activity, hosting hundreds of programs and events that reflect and celebrate the diversity of the community it serves.