Movies bring our imaginations to life. There’s nothing better than getting lost in a movie, fully consumed and connected to the characters, the storyline, the villains, and of course, the heroes. Not only are movies great to watch by yourself, but they’re even better when you get to enjoy them with the people you care about—whether it’s during a family movie night, a girls night out, or a date night.
Thanks to an abundance of technology in today’s world, we now have a wide variety of ways we can enjoy movies: Netflix, Hulu, Redbox, Amazon Video, Google Play Video, and much, much more. While all of these make it easy to cuddle up on the comfort of your own couch and enjoy the latest releases, many of us still love to experience a night out of the house at one of our local movie theaters. Lucky for local San Antonians, our city has a long list of movie theaters in the area, including standard movie theaters, dine-in movie theaters, and drive-in movie theaters.
So whether you like action, adventure, romance, chick-flicks, or a good old fashioned horror movie, it’s easy to plan the perfect movie night in San Antonio.
Standard Movie Theater
San Antonio has no shortage of movie theaters spread out throughout the city. We’ve compiled a list of the standard movie theaters to help you locate the one nearest to you.
- Regal Cinemas Alamo Quarry 16: Alamo Quarry Market, 255 E Basse Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209
- Santikos Palladium IMAX: 17703 I-10, San Antonio, TX 78257
- Regal Cinemas Cielo Vista 18 & RPX: 2828 Cinema Ridge, San Antonio, TX 78238
- Regal Cinemas Northwoods 14: 17640 Henderson Pass, San Antonio, TX 78232
- Regal Cinemas Huebner Oaks 14 & RPX: 11075 I-10, San Antonio, TX 78230
- AMC Rivercenter 11 with Alamo IMAX: 849 E Commerce St #800, San Antonio, TX 78205
- Regal Fiesta Stadium 16: 12631 Vance Jackson Rd, San Antonio, TX 78230
- Cinemark McCreless Market: 4224 S New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, TX 78223
- Cinemark Movies 16: 5063 NW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX 78229
Dine-In Movie Theaters
A new trend in movie venues is dine-in movie theaters. Forget going to dinner and a movie, how ’bout dinner during the movie? These dine-in locations bring convenience to you by providing everything you need in one place. You’ll find gourmet food, mixed drinks, beer on tap, and of course, a movie.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
There are multiple Alamo Drafthouse locations spread out around San Antonio. Alamo Drafthouse in a nation-wide dine-in movie theater chain that takes movie viewing to the next level. You’ll find “Cold beer, hot movies, and delicious snacks and meals.” The Alamo Drafthouse is dinner, drinks, movies and events, all under one roof. Our attention to detail in film presentation and programming has made us a second home to movie fans all over the planet and earned accolades from the likes of Entertainment Weekly (#1 theater in America), Wired.com (Coolest Movie Theater in the World) and Fandango.com (One of the Best Theaters in the Country).”
For more information and showtimes, visit Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.
Santikos
If you’re looking to enjoy a good movie while also contributing to a great local cause, Santikos Entertainment venues provide just that. With eight locations in the San Antonio area, Santikos are art-house style movie theaters that offer a full food & drink menu, plus table seating & wait service. Not only that, but the company is San Antonio-based: “Santikos Entertainment, as part of the estate of the late John L. Santikos, was gifted to the John L Santikos Charitable Foundation in 2015, marking it as the largest single charitable donation in the history of San Antonio and in the United States that year. Santikos Entertainment now exists for the sole benefit of the communities in which it operates. The dollars spent on movie tickets and amenities are funneled back into the local community in the form of donations, sponsorships, grants and programming that educate, cure, support and otherwise enhance lives of the citizens that support Santikos Entertainment.”
To find out more and check showtimes, visit Santikos Entertainment.
City Base Cinema
With just one single location in San Antonio, City Base Cinema still has a lot to offer. If you’re looking to venue that veers away from the typical large-chain theaters, this may be just what you’ve been searching for.”At City Base, enjoy everything from White Castle sliders to delicious, gourmet popcorn. Also, enjoy ice cold beer and specialty drinks.”
Ready to check it out? Visit City Base Cinema for showtimes and additional information.
Drive-In Movie Theaters
Drive-in movie theaters are a classic tradition that luckily still has a place in San Antonio. Pull your car up on the line, order food and drinks to your door, and enjoy the show. If you’d like to embrace this old school venue during your next movie night, head over to the Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theatre, located just outside of San Antonio in New Braunfels. The drive-in is open year-round. For the full experience you should plan to arrive an hour prior to your showtime.
For more information, visit Stars and Stripes Drive-In Theatre.
At-Home Movie Night Dates
Sometimes, a night cuddled up on a cozy couch is better than a night out on the town. As we discussed earlier, it’s easy to bring the hottest blockbuster movies right into your own home. The next time you gather around the tv with your loved ones, be sure you have these movie night essentials:
- Candy (lots of it)
- Popcorn (extra butter, of course)
- Drinks (soda, juice, water, beer, wine—whatever pairs best with your feature film)
- A blanket (the fluffier, the better)
- Tissues (for those romantic comedies and dramatic endings)
- And of course, your imagination
Thinking about planning a movie night for Valentine’s Day? Don’t forget to check out our other date night tips and Valentine’s Day gift ideas in How to Plan the Perfect Valentine’s Day in San Antonio. Also, don’t forget to share all of our favorite movie night experiences with us on the San Antonio Daily Sun Facebook Page.