Style & Culture

Best Movie Theaters in America

The smell of popcorn, the rolling laughter and gasps of surprise from a crowd—movie theaters have the unmatched ability to enchant and offer an escape for a few hours. Newly endangered by an army of streaming video services, movie-going remains a coveted pastime for cinephiles. And while cinemas might not be on most travelers' must-do lists when they're in a new place, there are exceptions. These theaters offer an overall experience worth traveling for, whether it’s old-world opulence or new-age comfort and service. From one of the oldest operating venues in the country to a theater that brews its own beer, go here for more than just a night at the movies.
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Courtesy El Capitan Theatre
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    The Castro Theatre, San Francisco, California

    Offering the chance to revisit classic movies on the silver screen daily, the Castro Theatre excels at pairing its historic digs with antiquated treasures of cinematic history. Constructed in 1922 in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District, the grand movie hall merges Spanish, East Asian, and Italian design influences and houses more than 1,400 seats.

  • Courtesy Walt Disney World

    Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida

    There’s definitely something other-worldly going on at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios—and it’s not just the sci-fi movie roll. That magical feeling comes by way of a total immersive recreation of a 1950s drive-in movie theater, complete with custom car booths that serve as a table for your meal. The short clips of oddly transfixing sci-fi classics fade into the background as the real special effect becomes the sense of time traveling.

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    El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood, California

    Hollywood’s golden age lingers within the hallowed walls of El Capitan Theatre, a legendary Los Angeles movie house given a dazzling new lease on life by way of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Built by visionary Charles E. Toberman in 1926, the 1,100-seat theater now exclusively shows Disney movies, with a rotating reel of new releases, mouse-house classics, and premieres. A bonus to every movie ticket comes via pre-show live entertainment (often themed to the feature presentation), capturing the wonder for all ages in signature Disney style.

  • Courtesy Thalian Hall

    Thalian Hall, Wilmington, North Carolina

    One of the oldest operating theaters in the country, Thalian Hall dates back to 1858. A landmark with a flair for the dramatic, its design is a cross of classical revival and late Victorian architecture with a picture-perfect tetrastyle façade. It's a performing arts center at its core, so plan ahead to catch an independent movie on the main stage, or opt for one of the film festivals that frequent the theater throughout the year.

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  • Courtesy McMenamins

    McMenamins Kennedy School Theatre, Portland, Oregon

    Giving new meaning to the phrase “old school,” Portland, Oregon's Kennedy School is a hotel, brewery, and movie theater set in a former public elementary school. Built in 1915 and repurposed as its current iteration in 1997, the space’s highlight is its plush and relaxed movie theater, where the seats are vintage arm chairs and sofas. What was once a space used for school assemblies now lives on as venue for second-run movies and classics.

  • Courtesy Al. Ringling Theatre

    Al. Ringling Theatre, Baraboo, Wisconsin

    Shifting from the heights of a big top circus to the grandeur of a proscenium, Albert Ringling sought to replicate the ornate opera houses of France as a gift to his tiny hometown of Baraboo, Wisconsin. Built in 1915, the theater has survived decades, and remarkable renovation efforts have resorted the masterpiece interiors. Arrive early to marvel at the opulent columns, box seats, and chandelier. Classic movies run intermittently as part of the theater’s regular arts programming.

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  • Courtesy Film Forum

    Film Forum, New York City

    The kryptonite to every mass-market superhero movie, Film Forum has been a national leader in presenting counter-culture cinema since its lo-fi beginnings in 1970. (A few relocations brought Film Forum to its current home on New York’s Houston Street in 1989.) As the sole non-profit movie theater in New York City, the cinema’s fans seek out the intimate venue for its three screens that are curated for exclusive premieres and second-looks at faded classics.

  • Courtesy Coolidge Corner

    Coolidge Corner, Brookline, Massachusetts

    A cultural mainstay in Boston’s Brookline neighborhood since 1933, Coolidge Corner has the rare distinction of being a continually operating theater dedicated to independent film. Its well-preserved Art Deco style, along with a classic red curtain, sets the scene for movies you won’t find at the Megaplex. Run as a non-profit since 1989, the theater has undergone several renovations throughout the last decade, restoring the operation to its historic glory while adding comfortable seats, HD projectors, and new sound systems.

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  • Courtesy Alamo Drafthouse

    Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Austin, Texas

    Craft cocktails and avocado toast delivered to your seat mid-movie: The new wave of upscale movie-going can be traced to one of Alamo Drafthouse’s signature outposts, Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz. Founded in 1997 as a second-run movie house, Alamo Drafthouse created a new cinema experience trading out hot dogs and sodas for artisanal food and craft beers. The operation has found rampant success, rapidly expanding to 29 locations across the country. Alamo relocated its initial venue from the confines of a parking garage to Austin’s historic Ritz Theatre in 2007.

TopicsMovies & Cinema