The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is an American cinema chain founded in 1997 in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, which is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the film, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going

etiquette Etiquette ( /ˈɛtikɛt, -kɪt/) can be defined as a set of norms of personal behavior in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and ...

. Sony Pictures Experiences acquired the chain in June 2024. The cinema chain has multiple locations across the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, including 18 in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. There are five locations in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

(

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

;

Charlottesville Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the seat of government of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Quee ...

; Woodbridge; Crystal City; and Ashburn); three locations in

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

(

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

;

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

; and Littleton); and four in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

(

Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...

, and

Lower Manhattan Lower Manhattan, also known as Downtown Manhattan or Downtown New York City, is the southernmost part of the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The neighborhood is History of New York City, the historical birthplace o ...

), two locations in

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

(

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

and Springfield) and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

). There are eight additional locations:

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

;

La Vista, Nebraska La Vista is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 16,746 at the 2020 census, making it the 12th most populous city in Nebraska. The city was incorporated on February 23, 1960. Description La Vista is a suburb of ...

;

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

;

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

;

Naples, Florida Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,115, down from 19,539 at the 2010 census. Naples is a principal city of the Collier County, Florida, Naples–Marc ...

; Woodbury, Minnesota; and

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

. Planned future locations include theaters in Glendale, Colorado;

Grand Prairie, Texas Grand Prairie is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Dallas County, Texas, Dallas, Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant, and Ellis County, Texas, Ellis counties with a small part extending into Johnson County, Texas , Johnson county. It ...

;

Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the population was 82,376 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Mountain V ...

; and

Santa Clara, California Santa Clara ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "Clare of Assisi, Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns i ...

History

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded by

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

alums Tim and Karrie League at 409 Colorado St, in an Austin, Texas warehouse district building on Colorado St. (between 4th and 5th) that was being used as a

parking garage A multistorey car park (Commonwealth English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistorey, parking building, parking structure, parkade (Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck, or indoor parking, is a building designed fo ...

. It was their second attempt at operating a movie theater; the Leagues had relocated to Austin after spending two years operating the Tejon Theater in

Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of th ...

. The Tejon was unsuccessful, but the Leagues learned important lessons and tried their luck again in Austin. The company began as a second-run movie theater. It distinguished itself by the food and drink service offered inside the theater, including cold beers, which continues to set Alamo Drafthouse apart from many other cinemas. The seating is arranged with rows of cabaret-style tables in front of each row of seats, with an aisle between each row to accommodate waitstaff service. Customers write their orders on slips of paper, which black-clad servers pick up. Soon after opening, the original downtown theater began offering occasional unique programming such as silent movies scored by local bands playing live accompaniment, food-themed films such as '' Like Water for Chocolate'' served with a dinner matching the meals shown on screen, and retrospectives of various directors and stars. This includes location-based food options depending on the film setting. In 2001, the Leagues renovated a four-screen art-house theater at 2700 Anderson Lane in North Austin called Village Cinema, which had recently closed, and opened it as an Alamo Drafthouse which specialized in first-run movies. With this new Alamo Drafthouse Village, the downtown location ceased showing second-run movies and began to concentrate almost exclusively on unusual programming, including classics, cult classics, independents, documentaries, special guest appearances, movie mockery and audience participation shows. In 2003, the Alamo Drafthouse, under the direction of CEO Terrell Braly, opened on 13729 Research Boulevard in northwest Austin. The Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek had seven screens, all dedicated to new movies. In May of that year, the Alamo granted their first franchise, which opened in the West Oaks Mall in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

with six screens. In July 2004, Tim and Karrie League sold the brand, including the brand name, intellectual property, and rights to all future Alamo Drafthouse expansion to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas CEO Terrell Braly, John Martin, and David Kennedy, but retained an irrevocable license for the Austin locations (Village, Lamar, Downtown), which includes their Rolling Roadshow. In August 2004, the second largest Alamo (Westlakes) opened in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, with eight screens. In August 2005, ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' named the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema "The #1 movie theater in the country doing it right". Since February 2005, the new company has purchased the original franchise unit from Doss, opened a theater in the Katy Area and in

Spring, Texas Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, Harris County, Texas, United States, part of the metropolitan area. The population was 62,559 at the 2020 United States cens ...

, and built a new-build multi-screen theater in the Rio Grande Valley; though it was announced in 2006 to open, the building has remained unfinished since the original owner was foreclosed upon.Sean Gaffney
"Alamo Drafthouse expected to be sold, completed,"
''The Monitor'' (McAllen, Texas), May 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-02. In 2006, due to rising rent in downtown Austin, theater owners took steps to hand the theater over to a non-profit group called the "Heroes of the Alamo" foundation, operating the theater as a cultural arts center. However, with the historic Ritz Theater on 6th Street offered as an alternative location, the original Alamo was closed. The final event at the original site consisted of a special triple-feature event on the evening of June 27, 2007. The final movie shown was Night Warning, with star Susan Tyrrell attending. After the movie, audience members were allowed to disassemble their seats and take them home as souvenirs of the theater. Of the first seven theaters, the downtown Austin theater was unique for being the host of many important film events in Austin, such as the Quentin Tarantino Film Festival and Harry Knowles's annual

Butt-numb-a-thon The Butt-Numb-A-Thon (also known as BNAT) was a film marathon held in Austin, Texas every December from 1999 to 2016. It was hosted by Harry Knowles of ''Ain't It Cool News'' in celebration of his birthday. The festival showed 24 hours of vinta ...

. After six months of construction, the Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz opened on November 2, 2007, with a triple feature of '' Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People'', with a five-course mushroom feast; a sneak preview of ''

No Country For Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written, directed, produced and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin ...

''; and a Terror Thursday screening of '' War of the Gargantuas'', introduced by

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...

who flew out from

for the night to attend the opening. In 2009, the first outside of Texas was opened in Winchester, Virginia. Alamo Drafthouse

A second San Antonio theater opened in 2009 (Park North), with six screens. In June 2010, founder Tim League was brought back as CEO of the franchise operations. A third San Antonio location (Stone Oak) opened on November 5, 2010, with six screens. In 2013, the Lake Creek location was closed upon the opening of the brand new, larger Lakeline location. In June 2017, the current largest Alamo opened in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...

with 14 screens seating 1,050 people. In late 2017, Alamo purchased the historic Baker Center from Austin ISD. They had promised to convert the building into public housing for teachers, but have yet to do so. The Baker Center is now Alamo Drafthouse’s corporate headquarters and was added to the

NRHP The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2023. In March 2019, ''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

'' reported that Alamo Drafthouse's movie-ticket subscription service, Alamo Season Pass, will launch nationwide at all Drafthouse theaters by the end of the year with the unlimited plan costing $20 a month in most regions of the country. In March 2020, Alamo Drafthouse announced that all locations were closed temporarily due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In May 2020, Alamo announced that former Starbucks executive Shelli Taylor would become the new CEO of Alamo Drafthouse and that founder Tim League would transfer from his current role as CEO to become the chairman of the board of directors. The company announced the launch of the "Alamo on Demand" video streaming service on May 7, 2020. With a video-on-demand platform provided by Shift72, the streaming service will have films from Drafthouse Films, its film distribution arm, as well as partner with name-brand studios like

Sony Pictures Classics Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American arthouse film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloo ...

and

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

. On March 3, 2021, Alamo Drafthouse filed for

Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, wh ...

. As part of its restructuring, locations across the southern U.S. were closed, and plans to open an Orlando, Florida location were cancelled. The debtors were represented by Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor as counsel and

Houlihan Lokey Houlihan Lokey, Inc., is an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company. Houlihan Lokey was founded in 1972 and is headquartered at Constellation Place in Century City, Los Angeles, California. The firm ad ...

as investment banker. With $100 million to $500 million in both assets and liabilities, Alamo entered into a restructuring support agreement to help guide them through their bankruptcy. In June 2021, the company announced that they had emerged from bankruptcy. In June 2024, all Alamo Drafthouse locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area were permanently shuttered, as well as the company's only Minnesota location in Woodbury, as the operator that franchised these locations filed for

Chapter 7 bankruptcy Chapter 7 of Title 11 U.S. Code is the bankruptcy code that governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. This is in contrast to bankruptcy under Chapter 11 and Chapter 13, which govern the process of ''re ...

. The franchisor, Two is One, One is None, LLC, blamed high leasing rents as part of the decision. On June 27, 2024, it was announced these locations would be acquired by Alamo Drafthouse and are set to resume operation in the summer. On June 12, 2024,

Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

acquired Alamo Drafthouse for a sum which are yet to be disclosed. Sony Pictures had previously owned the

Loews Theatres Loews may refer to: * Loews Cineplex Entertainment, formerly Loews Incorporated, a defunct North American cinema chain which formerly owned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer **''United States v. Loew's Inc.'', a United States Supreme Court case involving Loews ...

chain after the U.S. Department of Justice relaxed enforcement of the ''

United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. ''United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc.'', 334 U.S. 131 (1948) (also known as the Hollywood Antitrust Case of 1948, the Paramount Case, or the Paramount Decision), was a landmark United States Supreme Court antitrust case that decided the f ...

'' federal ruling orders in 1985. Alamo Drafthouse will continue to operate their film festival,

Fantastic Fest Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival in Austin, Texas, focused on fantasy, horror, sci-fi, action and cult films, the largest genre festival in the United States. It was founded in 2005 by Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse. Lisa Dreyer ...

, which is included in the acquisition. Not long after the purchase by Sony, Alamo Drafthouse was revealed as the replacement tenant for two shuttered Showplace Icon locations in Santa Clara and

, expanding the company's Northern California presence to three locations. On January 14, 2025, Alamo Drafthouse carried out mass

layoff A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing an organization ...

s at all levels of the company, with corporate as well as hourly staff at venues being particularly affected. The layoffs came despite reports of strong performance in 2024 and plans to open additional venues. Though the layoffs came only seven months after Sony's acquisition of Alamo Drafthouse, the decision has been described as "an Alamo decision, not a mandate from Sony". On February 3, 2025, more than one hundred Alamo Drafthouse employees were laid off at Manhattan, Brooklyn and Colorado locations. On February 14, 2025, employees at the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Colorado locations walked out in the middle of their shifts and went on strike in response to the layoffs. The Colorado locations, represented by the

Communications Workers of America The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, representing about 700,000 members in both the private and public sectors (also in Canada and Puerto Rico). The union has 27 loc ...

Local 7777 union, went back to work after four days. The strike at the Manhattan and Brooklyn locations, represented by the UAW Local 2179 union, ended after 58 days, resulting in the reinstatement of laid off workers, their accrued paid time-off, and seniority. Both unions have filed

unfair labor practice An unfair labor practice (ULP) in United States labor law refers to certain actions taken by employers or unions that violate the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 449) (also known as the NLRA and the Wagner Act after NY Senator ...

charges with the

National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States that enforces United States labor law, U.S. labor law in relation to collect ...

citing bad faith bargaining during negotiations.

Locations

''Italics indicate location has not officially opened yet.''

California

*Alamo Drafthouse Los Angeles – The Bloc, Los Angeles (opened July 19, 2019, includes Video Vortex video rental store) *''Alamo Drafthouse Mountain View – The Village at San Antonio, Mountain View (Opening Summer 2025)'' *Alamo Drafthouse San Francisco – New Mission Theater,

(opened December 17, 2015, includes Video Vortex video rental store) *''Alamo Drafthouse Santa Clara – Westfield Valley Fair, Santa Clara (Opening Summer 2025)''

Colorado

*Alamo Drafthouse at Aspen Grove – Littleton (7 screens, opened March 2013) *Alamo Drafthouse Sloan Lake –

(8 screens, opened May 2017) *Alamo Drafthouse Westminster –

(9 screens, opened Spring 2019) *''Alamo Drafthouse Glendale – Glendale (opening TBA 2027)''

District of Columbia

*Alamo Drafthouse D.C. Bryant Street (9 screens, opened December 2021)

Florida

*Alamo Drafthouse Naples (

, 11 screens, opened April 2024)

Illinois

*Alamo Drafthouse Chicago ( Wrigleyville,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, 6 screens, opened early 2023, includes Video Vortex video rental store)

Indiana

* Alamo Drafthouse Indianapolis (

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, 13 screens, opened November 2024)

Massachusetts

*Alamo Drafthouse Boston (Seaport,

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, 10 screens, opened late 2023)

Minnesota

*Alamo Drafthouse Twin Cities – Woodbury (9 screens; opened summer 2018; closed June 2024; reopened August 2024)

Missouri

*Alamo Drafthouse Springfield (14 screens; opened June 2017) *Alamo Drafthouse City Foundry –

(10 screens; opened December 2022)

Nebraska

*Alamo Drafthouse Omaha – La Vista (8 screens; opened October 31, 2015)

New York

New York City

* Alamo Drafthouse Downtown Brooklyn –

in City Point (Originally 7 screens, opened October 28, 2016, expanded to 12 screens in 2024, includes Video Vortex video rental store) * Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan –

Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies, and other related finance corporations have their headquarters offices. In major cities, financial districts often host ...

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

(14 screens, opened October 18, 2021, includes Kim's Video Underground video rental store) * Alamo Drafthouse

(9 screens, opened July 22, 2022)

Other New York cities

*Alamo Drafthouse

(6 screens; opened August 5, 2013 includes Video Vortex video store)

North Carolina

* Alamo Drafthouse

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

(11 screens, opened early 2018, includes Video Vortex video rental store)

Texas

Austin

* Alamo Drafthouse Village (4 screens; opened July 2001, includes Video Vortex video rental store) * Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (6 screens; opened March 7, 2005, closed January 3, 2013, as the rest of the 1950s Lamar Plaza shopping center was demolished and rebuilt around the existing Alamo Drafthouse building. Reopened in the third quarter of 2014 with expanded space bringing screens to 9. In 2023, a 10th screen was added in what used to be the large lobby.) * Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane (8 screens; opened on March 8, 2012) * Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline (10 screens; opened July 2013) * Alamo Drafthouse at Mueller (6 screens; opened March 2017)

Houston

* Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra – Katy (8 screens, replacing previous Mason Park location, July 2018)

San Antonio

*Alamo Drafthouse Park North (6 screens; opened November 2009) *Alamo Drafthouse Stone Oak (6 screens; opened on or after November 5, 2010)

Dallas–Fort Worth

*''Alamo Drafthouse Grand Prairie (10 screens, opening TBA)'' *Alamo Drafthouse Richardson (7 screens; opened August 2013 as first Dallas–Fort Worth area location, closed June 2024, reopened August 2024) *Alamo Drafthouse The Cedars (8 screens; opened 2016, closed June 2024, reopened August 2024) *Alamo Drafthouse

Las Colinas Las Colinas is a mixed-use planned community development in Irving, Texas governed by The Las Colinas Association, a Texas nonprofit corporation. Due to its central location in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and proximity to Dallas/Fort Wor ...

(opened April 2018, closed June 2024, reopened August 2024) *Alamo Drafthouse Lake Highlands (opened March 2018, closed June 2024, reopened August 2024) *Alamo Drafthouse Denton (opened June 2018, closed June 2024, reopened August 2024)

El Paso

*Alamo Drafthouse Montecillo Town Center (8 screens; opened May 6, 2016) *Alamo Drafthouse East El Paso (10 screens; opened March 24, 2021)

Other Texas cities

*Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock (8 screens; opened April 25, 2014) *Alamo Drafthouse Laredo (7 screens; opened September 4, 2015) *Alamo Drafthouse Corpus Christi (7 screens; opened February 2017)

Virginia

Northern Virginia

*Alamo Drafthouse One Loudoun – Ashburn (9 screens; opened April 2013) *Alamo Drafthouse – Woodbridge (8 screens, opened June 2018) *Alamo Drafthouse Crystal City – Crystal City (9 screens, opened October 2022)

Other Virginia cities

* Alamo Drafthouse Winchester – Kernstown (8 screens; opened October 2009) * Alamo Drafthouse –

(7 screens, opened July 2017)

Worldwide

*Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow – Mobile unit operates worldwide

Former locations

Arizona

*As of September 2021, all three locations were rebranded as ''Majestic Theaters''. *Alamo Drafthouse Phoenix – Chandler (Planned eight-screen location in downtown Chandler, AZ, abandoned due to construction issues, development taken over by Harkins Theatres. Alamo Holdings LLC later inked a $14.6 million lease on a location in south Chandler which opened on December 2, 2016) *Alamo Drafthouse Tempe (opened early 2018) *Alamo Drafthouse Gilbert (8 screens, opened November 2019)

Missouri

*Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet –

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

(6 screens; took over operations from AMC Theatres June 21, 2012; closure announced as part of bankruptcy restructuring in March 2021)

Michigan

*Alamo Drafthouse

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...

(10 screens; closed April 2017)

Nebraska

*Alamo Drafthouse Midtown –

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

(5 screens; opened Winter 2018; closed October 2022)

Texas

*Alamo Drafthouse Downtown – Austin (single screen; opened 1997, closed 2007 to move to the Ritz location) *Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek – Austin (7 screens; opened May 2003; closed July 2013) *Alamo Drafthouse West Oaks Mall – Houston (6 screens; opened May 2003 as the first Houston area location, closed June 25, 2012) *Alamo Drafthouse Vintage Park – Spring (7 screens; opened February 2013; sold December 6, 2016) *Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park – Katy Area (7 screens; opened February 2006, closed June 2018, replaced by the LaCenterra location) *Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz – Austin (2 screens; opened November 2007; closure announced as part of the bankruptcy restructuring in March 2021) - Now the home of

Joe Rogan Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', which is o ...

's comedy club Comedy Mothership *Alamo Drafthouse Marketplace – New Braunfels (11 screens; opened December 20, 2013; closure announced as part of the bankruptcy restructuring in March 2021) *Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes –

(9 screens; opened August 2004 as the first San Antonio area location; closed mid-2021) *Alamo Drafthouse North Richland Hills (8 screens, opened April 2019; closed February 2021)

Cancelled expansions

Alabama

*Alamo Drafthouse

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...

(planned for 2022, cancelled in January 2024)

Arkansas

*Alamo Drafthouse

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, Arkansas, Washington County, and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. The city ...

(8 screens; planned to be Alamo's first permanent drive-in location for 2023, cancelled in March 2025)

Florida

*Alamo Drafthouse

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

(cancelled March 2021)

Michigan

* Alamo Drafthouse Midtown

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

(9 screens; planned for 2020, cancelled late 2019)

Texas

*Alamo Drafthouse Little Elm (8 screens; planned expansion abandoned in February 2016) * An additional location was also being planned for the Houston area in December 2016. * Alamo Drafthouse Cedar Park (10 screens; planned in 2018) *Alamo Drafthouse La Cantera La Cantera, San Antonio (sold the land for the expansion in fall 2021) * Alamo Drafthouse

Sugar Land Sugar Land (sometimes incorrectly spelled as Sugarland) is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, United States, located in the southwestern part of the metropolitan area. Located about southwest of downtown Houston, Sugar Land is a po ...

* Alamo Drafthouse League City * Alamo Drafthouse Frisco (would have included a Video Vortex video rental store)

Etiquette

Alamo Drafthouse is famous for enforcing a strict policy on behavior while in the theater. Children under the age of two are not allowed, except for showings on specific days designated "Alamo For All", where parents are encouraged to bring young children, and rules around talking are relaxed. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed in showings, except for members of the Alamo Drafthouse's Victory Vanguard rewards program, which allows 15–17 year-olds to attend showings unattended after their application to the rewards program has been submitted and reviewed. The application involves demonstrating an understanding of the theater's policies around talking, texting, arriving late, and basic tipping etiquette. The cinema also prohibits talking and texting during the film. Anyone who violates this policy is subject to warning and potential removal from the premises. Alamo made national headlines in 2011 when the rantings of one angry customer who was ejected for texting were included in its "Don't Talk or Text" PSA shown before films. "When we adopted our strict no-talking policy back in 1997, we knew we were going to alienate some of our patrons," Tim League posted on the cinema's website. "That was the plan. If you can't change your behavior and be quiet (or unilluminated) during a movie, then we don't want you at our venue."

Rolling Roadshow

Alamo Drafthouse hosts 35mm screenings of famous movies in famous places all over the world with their traveling portable projection system and a blow-up screen. Past events include: '' Fistful of Dollars'' at Cortijo el Sotillo, Spain, ''

A Christmas Story ''A Christmas Story'' is a 1983 Christmas comedy film directed by Bob Clark and based on the 1966 book '' In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash'' by Jean Shepherd, with some elements from his 1971 book ''Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories ...

'' in Cleveland, OH, '' The Lost Boys'' in Santa Cruz, CA, '' It Came From Outer Space'' 3D in Roswell, NM, '' The Goonies'' in Astoria, OR, ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film, science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François ...

'' at Devil's Tower, WY, '' The Warriors'' in Coney Island, NY, ''

Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...

'' in Red Bank, NJ, '' Jaws'' at Martha's Vineyard, MA, ''

Field of Dreams ''Field of Dreams'' is a 1989 American sports fantasy drama film written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson, and based on Canadian novelist W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel '' Shoeless Joe''. The film stars Kevin Costner as a farmer who builds a ...

'' at the Field of Dreams, IA, '' The Shining'' at the Stanley Hotel, CO, '' Poseidon Adventure'' on the Queen Mary, CA, '' Escape from Alcatraz'' on Alcatraz, CA, '' Bottle Rocket'' in Hillsboro, TX, just to name a few.

Drafthouse Films

In 2010, after the return of former co-founder Tim League as CEO, the company launched Drafthouse Films, a

film distribution Film distribution, also called film exhibition or film distribution and exhibition, is the process of making a film available for viewing to an audience. This is normally the task of a professional film distributor, who would determine the marketin ...

company named after, and inspired by, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain.

Neon

In 2017, then CEO Tim League founded another film distribution company with Tom Quinn in New York City called

Neon Neon is a chemical element; it has symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is the second noble gas in the periodic table. Neon is a colorless, odorless, inert monatomic gas under standard conditions, with approximately two-thirds the density of ...

, which has earned a total of 12

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nominations. As of 2019, Tim League was reportedly not involved in the daily operations of Neon.

Birth.Movies.Death.

Birth.Movies.Death. was a film magazine and website formerly published by Alamo Drafthouse. It was previously known as ''Badass Digest''. The sale of Birth.Movies.Death to Dallas Sonnier's Cinestate film studio was announced in May 2020 concurrently with the stepping down of founder Tim League as CEO of Alamo Drafthouse.

Hostile workplace allegations

In October 2016, Devin Faraci resigned from ''Birth.Movies.Death.'' after allegations of sexual assault surfaced. Less than a year later, Tim League re-hired Faraci to write film blurbs for the 2017 Fantastic Fest. Upon discovery of Faraci's re-hiring, Todd Brown resigned as Fantastic Fest's director of international programming in early September 2017. Faraci resigned from writing for Fantastic Fest, and League made several public apologies regarding the matter. Later in September 2017, several women accused Harry Knowles of sexual harassment and sexual assault at events sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse or in professional workplace settings. Subsequently, Alamo Drafthouse and Fantastic Fest severed business ties with Knowles. League did not attend Fantastic Fest, opting instead to visit Alamo Drafthouse locations around the country to discuss workplace environment issues with employees. Also in 2017, Alamo Drafthouse exhibited '' Take It Out in Trade'', a previously unreleased pornographic film by

Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 – December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist. In the 1950s, Wood directed several B movie, low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult c ...

, to a "surprise" audience who had not been told about the film or its subject ahead of time.

References

External links

* {{authority control 1997 establishments in Texas 2018 mergers and acquisitions 2021 mergers and acquisitions 2024 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 1997 Cinemas and movie theaters in Texas Companies based in Austin, Texas Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2021 Culture of Austin, Texas Entertainment companies based in Texas Entertainment companies established in 1997 Movie theatre chains in the United States Privately held companies based in Texas Sony Pictures Entertainment

History

Locations

California

Colorado

District of Columbia

Florida

Illinois

Indiana

Massachusetts

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

New York

New York City

Other New York cities

North Carolina

Texas

Austin

Houston

San Antonio

Dallas–Fort Worth

El Paso

Other Texas cities

Virginia

Northern Virginia

Other Virginia cities

Worldwide

Former locations

Arizona

Missouri

Michigan

Nebraska

Texas

Cancelled expansions

Alabama

Arkansas

Florida

Michigan

Texas

Etiquette

Rolling Roadshow

Drafthouse Films

Neon

Birth.Movies.Death.

Hostile workplace allegations

See also

References

External links