Movie Theaters in L.A. For Escaping The Rain

California is well-known for its movie and television filming locations as well as for its rich film history. With the beautiful SoCal weather comes handfuls of places to catch an outdoor movie under the stars, but as the temperatures start to dip, it isn’t as fun to be spending much time outside. It’s for those cold, rainy days in particular that we compiled a list of the most interesting movie theaters in Los Angeles. This list includes some historic theaters, modern theaters, and theaters that are known for doing things differently. Check out the greatest movie theaters in Los Angeles and decide which one is best for a rainy day in the City of Angels.

TCL Chinese Theater

Address: 6925 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028

Hours: showings from 12:40 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Amenities: 3D, IMAX, Dolby Atmos, audio listening devices, and MX4D available for select titles. 

Prices: See website 

As one of the most iconic destinations in Los Angeles and one of the most famous movie theaters in the world, TCL Chinese Theatre is no stranger to the stars. Hosting 50-plus events each year and regular film screenings in one of the largest IMAX auditoriums worldwide, this theater always has something going on. The theater was constructed in 1927 in the exotic revival style, an architectural movement that was popular for LA cinemas back in the 1920s. It has since then been extensively updated and has become an iconic fixture of Hollywood Boulevard. 

You probably know this palatial theater as the site of choice for movie premiers, and for its unique tradition where stars leave their handprints or footprints alongside their dated signature on cement blocks outside the theater. Although the precise origins of this tradition are disputed, the ceremony has since become an inseparable aspect of the theater, and much of the cement sidewalks outside the theater are engraved with the signatures and handprints of Hollywood stardom. All this to say that when you come to see a film at this theater, you’re also stepping into a hallowed Hollywood landmark that is unlike any other. The TCL Chinese Theatre also provides tours so visitors can get to know the place inside and out.

El Capitan Theatre 

Address: 6838 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Hours: showings from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Amenities: IMAX, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, 4K, 3D, and a Mighty Wurlitzer organ! 

Standard Prices: see website.

Originally a 1926 playhouse, the El Capitan Theatre was converted into a moviehouse and outfitted with lavish interiors and a Wurlitzer organ in 1941. This Los Angeles movie theater is another household name on Hollywood Boulevard, and famous films such as Citizen Kane had their world premiers here. The original designs of this Spanish Colonial Revival movie theater in Los Angeles were preserved and in 1989 the Walt Disney Company teamed up with Pacific Theatres to restore the building to its former glory. 

Today, this historic movie theater retains its rightful place as one of the best movie theaters in Los Angeles. You can still catch plenty of Disney premieres, special screenings, and showings of old favorites at this fancy LA movie theater, making it well worth a visit. Plus, the theater also offers fan events, marathon screenings of favorite series, private screenings, foreign language screenings, and even high-tech features such as 4D film experiences.

ScreenX at CGV Cinemas 

Address: 621 S Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005

Hours: showings from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Amenities: ScreenX

Standard Prices: See website. 

CGV Cinemas holds the country’s first multi-projector auditorium, creating a movie screen that far exceeds the size of traditional theater screens. Thanks to ScreenX’s trademark technology that projects the movie onto the theater walls audiences are surrounded by 270 degrees of visual media for an immersive experience unlike any other. 

This cinematic innovation comes from South Korea where CGV has a major presence. Their Los Angeles location is their first U.S.-based cinema and it is the premier spot to catch the latest and greatest releases from the Korean film industry, all screened in 270-degree ScreenX panoramic glory. When it comes to the most unique and entertaining movie theaters in Los Angeles, it doesn’t get much better than this.

Egyptian Theater 

Address: 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028. 

Hours: TBD

Amenities: 4K, director’s cuts screenings, nitrate film (35mm and 70mm).  

Standard Prices: TBD, please see website.

Brought to you by the same guy who envisioned the Chinese Theater, the Egyptian theater is another great example of exotic revival architecture on Hollywood Boulevard. Egyptomania, or an obsession with all things Ancient Egypt has been a thing since Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign in the nineteenth century. America was no exception and there are many examples of this fad throughout the country, especially in architecture. Created in the Egyption-Revival style, the Egyptian Theater opened in 1929 and aimed to capitalize on the public’s obsession with this exotic aesthetic. Today the theater is only one of five American cinemas that can screen movies on nitrate film, which was used to make every major motion picture before 1951 but has long since become obsolete.  

Originally operating as both a moviehouse and a vaudeville theater during the golden age of silent cinema, the Egyptian Theater sadly fell into neglect in the late twentieth century. Fortunately, the theater is now undergoing a major seismic retrofit and modernization project that will make it the ultimate LA movie theater for film buffs. The auditorium is adorned with murals of Egyptian landmarks, and the sky-blue ceiling is complemented by twinkling star–inspired lights—making the Egyptian Theater a must-see venue and one of the most magical movie theaters in Los Angeles. 

New Beverly Cinema 

Address: 7165 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Hours: 2 p.m. to midnight. 

Amenities: All films are screened on 35mm film. 

Standard Prices: see website. 

Opened as a repertory movie theater in 1978, New Beverly Cinema got a new life when Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino took over as the owner and head programmer in 2007. Since then, the New Beverly Cinema has become one of the premier independent movie theaters in Los Angeles. All of its movies are shown in 35mm for the most authentic experience, making this a perfect place for those that appreciate the golden age of film. 

The cinema’s schedule is exactly what you would expect from a LA movie theater run by Tarantino. It features quirky, classic action films, many of which are made by Tarantino himself. Despite that, this movie theater in Los Angeles also features some child-friendly films, so it’s not off-limits to younger viewers.  

Home to so many of the best movie theaters in California, the Los Angeles area makes it easy to escape the cold weather. Have you been to any of our favorite venues? Let us know what you think is the best movie theater in Southern California—we’d love to check it out.