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Stunning Old-School Movie Theaters Where You Can Still Catch a Film
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Madeline Ostdick profile picture
Madeline Ostdick
Every time I visit a new city, my first priority is to check out the local movie scene: drive-ins? Indie theaters? Screenings in the park? I love them all, but my absolute favorite places to visit are historic old movie palaces, a handful of which are still in operation as working movie theaters after periods of restoration. Largely built in the silent film era (though built well into 1940s), these movie palaces represent a time when moviegoing first became a “destination” event for Americans (as movies changed from novelties to works of art), embodying a sense of glamour and excess that you just don't find in contemporary movie theaters. Seeing a movie in an old movie palace reminds you of why you fell in love with cinema in the first place: the stars! The glamour! The drama!
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Sections
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12
West Coast
 
6
East Coast
 
5
Midwest
 
5
The South

West Coast

12

The West Coast definitely dominates the surviving movie palace landscape, thanks to Hollywood's legacy as the movie capital of the world.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

East Coast

6

As much as arthouse culture might seem like it would be an East Coast staple, it's been hard for old school theaters to survive in such busy, ever-changing cities. These old school theaters are true survivors!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Midwest

5

The Midwest actually has a really robust old school theater scene: the Chicago area (in particular) has taken great care to preserve its architectural links to old movie production and culture (and its old theaters / movie halls!).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The South

5

There's no shortage of beautiful old movie palaces in the South: my childhood favorite, the Inwood Theatre in Dallas, actually inspired a lifelong love of old school movie theaters!