The Alabama Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ has left the building. But fans of the beloved instrument needn’t fret.

The organ, affectionately known as “Big Bertha,” will be back at the theater in downtown Birmingham after repairs and maintenance are completed at the A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Co. in Lithonia, Georgia. The elaborately decorated console of the Mighty Wurlitzer — that is, the part the audience sees, with the keyboards and pedals — made its exit on Sunday, Feb. 18, according to social media posts by the Alabama Theatre.

“It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later!” theater organizers said on Facebook and Instagram, heading off concerns that the Alabama, 1817 Third Ave. North, might be losing Big Bertha for good. The posts listed three things that will be key to the organ’s glow-up: “New SAM (stop-action magnet) assemblies, refurbished stop tab rails, and reconfigured stop tabs — all the things that make the organ work!”

A specific date for the Mighty Wurlitzer’s return wasn’t mentioned, but the posts said the console should be back home “sometime this summer.” That could mean Big Bertha won’t play its usual role in the theater’s annual summer film series, but organizers emphasized the organ would be back for a fall event featuring a silent film version of “The Phantom of the Opera.” (It’s usually scheduled in October, close to Halloween.)

The organ’s console, although extremely important, actually is just one part of the Mighty Wurlitzer, which also has three chambers tucked into the theater’s innards. Those chambers hold pipes of various sizes that provide specific sounds — violins, tubas, oboes, sleigh bells, bird whistles and much more — and actual instruments, such as a piano keyboard, drums, cymbals and a xylophone, that play when triggered by an organist.

AL.com received a guided tour of the organ chambers in 2017, led by theater volunteer Larry Donaldson. The chambers are cramped, asymmetrical spaces at the theater that most folks will never see, accessible only by climbing narrow ladders, maneuvering in tight crevices and walking on wooden planks over sheer drops.

READ: Longtime volunteer’s wizardly ways keep Alabama Theatre (and its Mighty Wurlitzer) running smooth

Big Bertha’s console, on the other hand, is very familiar to theatergoers who’ve watched the majestic pipe organ slowly emerge from its hiding place beneath the stage, with musicians such as Gary W. Jones at the keyboards.

“As the Mighty Wurlitzer continues its ascent, organist Gary Jones emerges from the pit below and comes into full view, like a rabbit popping out of a hat,” Bob Carlton said in a 2019 profile of Jones linked to Christmas events at the Alabama.

“Oh, it’s the greatest,” said Jones, who’s been the theater’s house organist since 2009. “It’s the best seat in the house, and it’s the greatest ride you can ever take. No other ride — no roller-coaster, no amusement park — can compare.”

READ: Meet the man who makes Christmas merry at the Alabama Theatre

The Wurlitzer organ (technically known as the Wurlitzer Opus 1783, Style Publix 1) was built in 1927 and has been a key element at the Alabama Theatre for nearly a century. (The theater opened on Dec. 25, 1927, and the Mighty Wurlitzer was a dazzling part of the show.)

Maintenance on the vintage instrument is painstaking and persnickety, as you might expect, and the theater has been raising money for an Organ Console Renovation Project, posting information for prospective donors via its website. The Alabama Theatre is owned by Birmingham Landmarks Inc., a nonprofit that also owns the nearby Lyric Theatre.

“2022 celebrates the 95th birthday of our beloved Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, ‘Big Bertha,’” the theater’s website says. “It’s time for a little work to be done to the console — some mechanical, some cosmetic — all to make her last another 95 years!”

The fundraising page on the theater’s website doesn’t mention a monetary goal, but in social media posts dated Feb. 1, 2023, the Alabama Theatre said organ renovation was expected to cost “at least $150,000 due to the specialized work and materials.”

Mighty Wurlitzer fans will be reassured to hear that the console’s trip to Georgia was successful, according to a Monday Facebook comment by Arthur Schlueter of the A.E. Schlueter Pipe Organ Co. “I can report that Bertha arrived safely to Schlueter’s in Lithonia. Rest assured she is well loved!,” Schlueter said.

Jones, the Alabama Theatre’s organist, also emphasized that Big Bertha is in good hands. “I know she’ll return better than ever AND all the little quirks and things that happen to a piece of machinery like Bertha that need upgrading, reworking, adding or replacing will be completed,” Jones said in an email to AL.com.

In the meantime, folks who care about the Alabama Theatre have posted supportive comments about the organ’s journey on social media.

“God Speed, Miss Bertha. We’ll see you in October!” Lisa Smith Brooks said on Facebook.

“Safe travels and best of luck with the console restoration,” Jacob Woods said. “A beautiful organ, with an iconic console, in a fabulous picture palace. And all topped with a xylophone that re-iterates. I hope all goes well.”

“Love Big Bertha! Get well soon, Berty!” said Phil Brown.

“So glad to see she is being taken care of. Glad she is is good hands. Take care of her,” said Jonathon Moore.

“Get well soon, Bertha,” said Stephanie Hamilton. “Always enjoyed our time together.”

In case you’re wondering, the Mighty Wurlitzer’s fame isn’t restricted to Birmingham or even the state of Alabama. In April 2015, for example, Big Bertha was featured by the PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” as part of a “field trip” to the Alabama Theatre. You can watch the segment, which features an interview with organist Jones, in the video below.