5 Must Visit Alternative Movie Theaters in Houston

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River Oaks Theatre | Photo courtesy of Landmark Theatres

Let’s all go to the lobby with our five favorite destination movie theaters around Greater Houston.

If you’ve ever found yourself longing for more than the run-of-the-mill popcorn flick environment, you’re in luck.

Sit back, relax, and silence your cell phone as we transport you to five venues that are sure to deliver their own unique movie-going experience.

5 Must Visit Alternative Movie Theaters in Houston

  • Wortham Giant Screen Theatre  Journey to Yellowstone, Kenya, or even the Triassic Period at the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre, located inside the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Far from a fossil, the 394-seat theater features a 60’ x 80’ foot IMAX screen with 4K digital resolution and a six-track sound system, the perfect tools to bring its 3D attractions to life. Click here for directions.
  • Brown Auditorium Theater  Add variety to your cinematic diet at the Brown Auditorium Theater, inside Houston’s historic Museum of Fine Arts. The MFAH, Houston’s oldest repertory cinema, exhibits culturally and creatively diverse releases, both independent and major, from across the globe. Click here for directions.
  • River Oaks Theatre – Situated brightly along West Gray in the River Oaks Shopping Center, the theater’s marquee stands like an art deco beacon. Operated by Landmark Theatres, its showings typically include contemporary documentary and fiction films and, naturally, the midnight showings of old favorites like Die Hard and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Click here for directions.
  • Sundance Cinemas Houston  Book your tickets in advance for the cushy reserved seating movie theater Sundance Cinemas Houston. The MetroRail-adjacent Downtown theater keeps independent films on deck, but doesn’t mind showing the latest great blockbuster release. And its on-site cafe serves up pizza, popcorn, espresso and more. Click here for directions.
  • The Showboat Drive-in Theater  Put the car in park at The Showboat Drive-In Theater in Hockley where “it’s not just a movie… it’s an experience!” For a small price, families, friends, and lovers alike get snacks, souvenirs, and a double feature of the newest releases. Click here for directions
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Photo courtesy of the Showboat Drive-In Theater

UPDATE 10/15/16: This story originally conflated the description of The River Oaks Theater in the River Oaks Shopping Center with the more plush iPic Theater in the River Oaks District. We regret the error and it has been corrected. 

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Katricia Lang
Katricia Lang is a self-described "creative writer, aspiring actress and singer and half-hearted home cook" with an unabashed love for Houston. She loves all the things about the city that people hate – the heat, the traffic, even the humidity. She also loves the things people love – our cultural melting pot, huge portions of Tex-Mex and Beyoncé. A shortlist of her other loves include writing, acting, eating, singing, Googling shirtless pictures of basketball players and eating some more. She is delighted to share these loves with the world. Her main gig is contributing editor at BroadwayWorld.com, but she’s determined share all her loves with the world.