The Coolest Movie Theater in Every State

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Alabama: Crescent Theater

This small, independently owned theater, located in Mobile, only shows one movie at a time, including mainstream and indie picks, but customers rave about its charm and the hospitality of its owner. Bonus: You don’t need to worry about your movie being disturbed by latecomers — the theater, which also serves beer and wine, locks its door as soon as the movie starts.

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Alaska: Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill

The Bear Tooth Theatrepub & Grill is a favorite "dinner and a movie" spot in Anchorage. The 275-seat theater has tables in front of the seats so moviegoers can have their meal — pizza, burritos, salads, and more — delivered right to them as they watch a second-run or independent film. In addition to a dine-in experience, the theatrepub serves its own craft beer, Broken Tooth Beer, along with wine and margaritas.

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Arizona: FilmBar

While Arizona has no shortage of multiplexes and luxury theaters, FilmBar in Phoenix is a quirky hidden gem. The theater only has one screen, on which it shows a variety of indie films, cult classics, and documentaries. The bar serves wine, a broad selection of on-tap beer, and food, and moviegoers are also allowed to bring in snacks of their own.

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Arkansas: MovieLounge

This locally owned, two-screen theater in Fort Smith is an upscale dine-in venue that mainly plays recently released mainstream films; it also offers live comedy and music events. Food-wise, you can scarf down things like loaded fries, steak bruschetta, crab cake caesar salad, BBQ cheddar burgers, and skillet mac ‘n' cheese.

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California: TCL Chinese Theatre

California is filled with unique movie theaters but the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood is too iconic to leave out. Since its grand opening in 1927, the Chinese Theatre has been home to countless premieres of some of the biggest films in movie history. Plus, many of its original, ornate designs and Chinese artifacts — including temple bells, pagodas, and stone Heaven Dogs — are still intact. Visitors to the theater can also see the Forecourt of the Stars, where celebrities from Marilyn Monroe to Meryl Streep have left a permanent imprint as testament to their legacy.

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Connecticut: Prospector Theater

Registered as a nonprofit, the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield gives employment opportunities to people with disabilities, teaching transferable skills that can lead to meaningful careers. In addition to having an awesome mission, the theater has four screens and offers advanced technology, like closed-captioning glasses and headphones that stream dialogue and descriptions of scenery. You can also enjoy their café, which serves coffee, lattes, wine, beer, and "thematic adult beverages."

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Delaware: The Clayton Theatre

The last operating single-screen theater in Delaware, the Clayton Theatre in Dagsboro holds a nostalgic charm for moviegoers, especially with its preserved art-deco exterior and interior. Despite its dated appearance, the movie shows first-run films on a daily basis — and offers weekly classic film screenings at a reduced rate for those who want to relive the golden age of cinema.

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Colorado: Sie FilmCenter

Home to the Denver Film Society, the Sie FilmCenter screens over 600 movies per year, ranging from arthouse films to documentaries to exclusive first-run movies. It also hosts the International Denver Film Festival and regularly puts on mini-film festivals like “CinemaQ,” a curation of the best in recent LGBTQ films, “CineLatino,” and “Women+Film."

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Florida: Enzian Theater

This single-screen, locally owned cinema café in Maitland stands out from the huge multiplex movie theaters in the Orlando area and has become a go-to place in Central Florida to see the best independent and foreign films. The Enzian offers a number of unique special programming events, like a free cinema series in a park, and hosts the Florida Film Festival, among other events. Customers can also enjoy the Eden Bar, an outdoor dining space.

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Georgia: Plaza Theatre

The Plaza Theatre opened in 1939 and is the longest operating and only independent movie theater in Atlanta. It isn’t the place to catch the latest blockbuster film — the two-screen theater mainly shows independent, foreign, or arthouse films — but its historical significance and retro vibes keeps moviegoers coming back. Additionally, the theater hosts special events, like a weekly midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and “Cineprov,” a monthly comedy show that makes fun of cheesy movies.

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Hawaii: Movie Museum

This tiny Honolulu theater has fewer than 20 seats — all leather recliners — and plays classic, foreign, or recently released independent films for $5 ($4 for those over 65). Patrons are allowed to bring in whatever they want — food, drinks, blankets and pillows — to ensure a cozy and enjoyable viewing experience.

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Idaho: The Flicks

Founded in 1984, The Flicks is a four-screen theater that shows independent and arthouse films, along with the best of mainstream new releases. The theater is known in the Boise community for its friendly staff and comfortable atmosphere, as well as its high-quality concessions, which includes full meals and desserts, an espresso bar, and a selection of local beer, wine, and cider. Another fun fact: The Flicks is committed to being energy efficiency and in 2014 installed solar panels on its roof.

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Illinois: Music Box Theatre

Built in 1929, this Chicago theater has maintained its original architecture and interior design, which includes its "night sky" ceiling with shining stars and walls resembling an Italian courtyard. The theater has two screens — the original, 800-seat theater and a smaller 1991 addition — which regularly show independent, foreign, classic, and cult films. Music Box Theatre also hosts special events like the Blue Whiskey Film Festival, and in 2015 added a lounge and garden that serves beer, wine, and speciality cocktails.

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Indiana: The Historic Artcraft Theatre

Another theater built during the 1920s, the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin was originally built as a vaudeville house and silent movie theater. Now it's is managed by a nonprofit historical preservation group, Franklin Heritage, Inc., and mainly shows classic films ranging from Singin’ in the Rain to Dirty Dancing to Hocus Pocus. All of the films begin with a skit or a classic cartoon, and a ticket only costs around $5.

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Iowa: Fleur Cinema & Café

This locally owned business screens independent, foreign, and Hollywood films that Des Moines residents can’t always find at a typical chain. They can also enjoy beer, wine, coffee, espresso, cheesecake, muffins, and dessert bars at the café.

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Kansas: Plaza Cinema

The Plaza Cinema makes this list because it claims the title of "America’s Oldest Operating Cinema." According to its website, the Ottawa-based theater has been projecting movies since 1905, though it has undergone updates and renovations since then. Its film lineup isn't anything out of the ordinary but there’s a small movie memorabilia museum — housing original scripts, props, costumes, and posters — located in the theater, and admission to the museum is included in the cost of your ticket.

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Kentucky: Kentucky Theater

The historic Kentucky Theater is beloved by the city of Lexington. Since opening in 1922, the theater has survived a changing movie industry, smoke damage, and multiple renovations to become the theater it is today. Movie options are often limited (there are only two screens), but the theater tends to play independent or limited-release movies you can’t always find at bigger venues.

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Louisiana: The Broad Theater

Built inside a renovated warehouse in New Orleans, The Broad Theater is now a modern space that shows a selection of first-run, independent, and foreign movies on four screens, and also offers seasonal deals like their $2 Tuesday cult-movie screenings. Their concession stand offers wine and beer on tap, and on weekends they host pop-up kitchens from vendors in the area so movie-goers can enjoy fresh sliders, nachos, tacos, or hot dogs during their show.

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Maine: Reel Pizza Cinerama

With its casual dinner-and-a-movie setting, Reel Pizza Cinerama is a favorite among Bar Harbor locals for its tasty pizza and comfortable seating, which includes tables and couches in the front of the theater. The two-screen theater plays both mainstream and independent movies, and also hosts events like “ImproVision,” a comedy show where an improv group makes up the dialogue and sound effects for a movie playing silently in the background. Another unique aspect about this theater: There’s an intermission during every movie so guests can get up and use the bathroom or purchase more food without having to miss part of the show.

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Maryland: The Charles Theatre

Baltimore's Charles Theatre is a vintage venue with modern updates. Originally built as a cable car barn in the early 20th century, the building served a variety of purposes before it became a newsreel theater in 1939. Then it underwent major renovations in 1999 to add more screening rooms. Now, with five screens, the Charles Theatre shows a mix of indie, mainstream, foreign, and classic movies.

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