Avalon Theatre in Washington, DC, DC

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Telephone:	+1 202-966-6000
Website:	www.theavalon.org
Address:	5612 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC, DC, 20015 b/t N Mckinley St & N Northampton St Chevy Chase
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	0.6 miFriendship Heights 1.2 miTenleytown-AU 1.5 mi196
Categories:	Cinema

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Good for Kids

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Today

Today	8:00 am – 11:00 pm Open now
Local time (Washington, DC)	14:38 Friday, 29 November 2024

Business hours

Monday	8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday	8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday	8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday	8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Friday	8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sunday	9:00 am – 11:00 pm

Description

Specialties

The Avalon Theatre is Washington, DC’s only nonprofit film center and the oldest operating movie house in the area. The Avalon offers exciting and diverse programming, including first-run studio films, independent & foreign films, film festivals, a weekly Wednesday night series, and special programs for families and seniors.

The Avalon Theatre Café is open daily serving espresso drinks, beer, wine, sandwiches, soups and ice cream. Any items purchased in the café may be taken into the theater. Café customers are also welcome to use our free wireless Internet.

History

Established in 1929.

The Avalon Theatre was originally named the Chevy Chase Theatre and was built to show the silent films of the time. Its name was changed to the Avalon in 1929. The Avalon changed owners several times in the next eighty years, and the building was regularly renovated and redecorated. Some of the more significant changes included the installation of air conditioning in the late 1930’s, the construction in 1970 of a second 200 seat theater, Avalon 2, upstairs, and the creation of the striking ceiling mural in the large auditorium in 1985. The last commercial owners declared bankruptcy in 2001 and closed down the theater.

A grassroots campaign rallied neighborhood support to save the historic theater. The Avalon Theatre Project was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in November 2001, and with fundraising help from oundations, D.C. city government and many individuals, restoration of the building began in October 2002. The Avalon reopened to great excitement on April 23, 2003.

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20 reviews of Avalon Theatre

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Jorge P.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

Great selection of high quality movies, both US and foreign

Charles L.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

A superb theatre and awesome spot for quality cinéma. Recently saw a special one-night screening of «Runoff,» followed by a fabulous Q&A with the Director, Kimberly Levin. The movie literally had me in tears and tingling with emotion — quite the visceral affect. Thank you, Avalon Theatre, for bringing this film to D.C.

Bruce L.

Place rating: 4
Clinton, MD

Kudos on holding such a wonderful and enlightening showing of Generation One. Popcorn was good and priced right. I don’t think adding butter should add $ to the cost, but I guess it works for the theater. Great selection of other snacks and bites. Restroom was clean. Will come back again. Had a nice date night.

Charles S.

Place rating: 4
Washington, DC

This place has been here a long time. It closed down earlier and was brought back due to public support. The café is the place to go to socialize and purchase good treats before the movie. Its run by Henry and his staff. Drop by and visit

Dan C.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

I love this theatre (or theater)!!!
It’s definitely old school and there’s very little sacrifice — sure, you can’t pick your seats online, but even on Friday nights, this place isn’t too crowded. You get there like 10 – 15 minutes early, and you’ll probably get the seat you want. Nowadays, in the new theatres, the Ke$ha crowds they draw are people who are on their cellphones, tweeting this and that, and sunken into those super comfortable chairs. There ain’t none of that here… standard seats, and respectable pleasant movie-goers…except, just like in the old days — the back row seat inside the dark, dark theatre is reserved for… smooching couples.
There’s plenty of goodies — before stepping in, you can stop by and get some wine, beer, popcorn, candy, and all sorts of goodies. Coffee even for those parrot-like people (room dark, sleep time!).
Had an awesome evening out watching Ex Machina. Clear picture and good acoustics… not that I really noticed… ya know, sitting in the backrow seat and all…*
dmo out
*.alone and crying, of course

Brooke P.

Place rating: 4
Washington, DC

Sometimes you don’t want choices– you just want a well-curated selection of movies in a cute theatre. We saw Selma here but they were also playing Leviathan– I wanted to see both! That’s what Avalon is– it caters to the community that surrounds it.
The one downside of old-school theaters, the seats aren’t comfortable, you’re sitting very close to your neighbors, and the floor isn’t slanted very much so a tall person in front of you will completely obstruct your view. Its also pretty dark once the lights go on, and climbing over people isn’t easy in old school theaters so don’t be late!
If you’re ever bored with the giant chain cinema companies, this place is worth the journey!

Dominic L.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

How can you not a like a throwback theater like this? Two screens, one is big and beautiful. Just the ceiling above the main screen is worth half the admission. The other screen is a little small and brings me back to watching movies in high school… But the people are wonderful, you get to see independent films, and they have lots of special screenings each month. Also becoming a member will get you discounts to restaurants in the area.

Sarah M.

Place rating: 5
Takoma Park, MD

I love this movie theater! Great for a date or to watch a movie with your family.
It’s «old school» style, with the seating all on one level. This theater plays independent films as well as foreign films. They also have a concession stand with an assortment of snacks.
If you’re looking for a different (read: classic) movie-going experience, you should give this theater a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Michael W.

Place rating: 4
Baltimore, MD

Great place to watch a movie, the theater is definitely old school (in a good way). There’s a café there as well with an excellent selection of snacks.

Brian R.

Place rating: 5
Kensington, MD

Best place in DC area to watch movies-one of the few old, classic, big-screen theaters left. Taken over by neighborhood nonprofit organization when owners wanted to sell it. Big screen. Great snack bar with wine.

Hua X.

Place rating: 4
Bethesda, MD

The seats and screen size are kind of meh (watch out for tall guy in front syndrome here), but there is a cozy, homely vibe to this theater that may only be matched by West End Cinema in the area (maybe this has to do with the fact that the screens are small at both places).
In my experience, if a film is not playing at AFI Silver or the Landmarks, chances are it will be playing at West End, here, or AMC Shirlington.

Cyndy K.

Place rating: 3
Falls Church, VA

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: A great place to watch independent films.
Went to see the movie «The Great Beauty». The theater was mellow not overly crowded. The seats were ok. No parking lot but there were enough street parking.

Jennifer N.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

I don’t know how it is that I have neglected to review my beloved local neighborhood theater. The Avalon somehow manages to be a bit of a secret — maybe it’s because the flashy Uptown in Cleveland Park gets all the attention. But hey, let me tell you the truth: Avalon is much better than the Uptown. For starters, that Uptown screen can be a little dark (at least for my taste) and the Uptown tends to only play very mainstream movies, and most of the time, those movies play at Uptown for a looooong time. Enter the Avalon, our independent, non-profit, local theater. Avalon #1 is an old school big theater that has been renovated — the seats are very comfortable, the screen is huge, and added plus: the restrooms are actually INSIDE the theater. Avalon #2 is a smaller screen upstairs (the added plus: Avalon finally finished putting an elevator in, so now Avalon #2 is accessible).
What I love about this place is that they certainly play mainstream stuff (American Hustle was at the Avalon for quite a few weeks) but they also play quirkier things (I just saw La Grande Belleza there), and the theater is part of all kinds of cultural programming including ReelIsraelDC (4^th Wednesday of the month), French Cinematheque, Lions of Czech Film, and on the first Wednesday of every other month, they host Avalondocs. Oh, yes, and there’s a little café in the Avalon too.

Seth S.

Place rating: 4
Bethesda, MD

I’ve lived in Bethesda my entire life and never knew that this independent film theater was just a short drive away. We were in theater number two for a movie and, while the theater was sort of run-down, the seats were comfortable enough and there was no problems with the sound or picture quality. I think theater one might be a little nicer because they are in the midst of renovating the theater two area.
They serve beer and wine at their café in addition to the normal movie theater fare, all of which you can bring into the theater with you. Prices are at or below larger chain theaters.
The best part of the whole experience was the staff. Everyone was extremely friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back here if they were playing a movie I wanted to see.

Amanda B.

Place rating: 4
Kennewick, WA

This place is really great. Full of history and character, the theater was built in the 20’s (I think), closed, and reopened in 2003 thanks for a neighborhood non-profit.
I didn’t know this place even existed until a movie I wanted to see, that didn’t make it to Bethesda Row, popped up. It is very close to our condo, so we decided to give it a go.
The theater is definitely on the older side, so don’t expect anything too fancy, but the film quality was great and the theater wasn’t at all crowded or noisy. The staff seemed really pleasant as well, including an older gentleman who seemed to be a manager of sorts standing outside greeting people, and helping out behind the snack counter.
They do have alcohol at this theater, as well as traditional soda, popcorn, candy snacks. The prices seem to be pretty typical of other theaters, but why not support a local place if you can?
The Avalon is currently being renovated to connect the 2^nd theater to the main entrance, which now has a separate entrance from Connecticut.

Nicole L.

Place rating: 4
Washington, DC

First time at the Avalon it was a charming but older theater yet the film quality was good. The seats were comfortable the film screen was wide enough and felt like it filled a lot more people than the newer theaters. The film by Alain Resnais was more popular than I expected the door opened early and let people way too early before screening luckily we got there early. We had a couple cups of coffee from the café they were good.

Cat P.

Place rating: 5
Sterling, VA

This theater, in a nice part of town, recalls a different movie-going age, a time before 3-D and CGI. Go if you want an old-fashioned cinema experience. The seats were comfy and the overall space seemed well-maintained. As a Filmfest DC participant and an arthouse film lover’s haven, Avalon Theatre is a great alternative to Landmark E Street Cinema, which can feel a bit like the grown-up version of AMC Tysons on a Saturday. I will definitely be returning for more.

William M.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

The Avalon is an awesome theatre in NORTH DC, just below Chevy Chase, MD. It’s tough to get to without a car, and it has a great community feel to it. There are two screens at this theatre: one fairly sizable theatre downstairs, and a much smaller one upstairs (Avalon 2).
They show great movies here: I’ve seen the Social Network, Crazy Stupid Love, and a few French movies where they partnered with La Maison Francaise. Remember, it’s an older theatre, so there’s no stadium seating. Be sure you don’t sit behind a person with a huge head! You won’t see a thing.
The snack bar is amazing — one of the best I’ve been to at a movie theatre. And if I remember correctly, it’s reasonably priced, particularly when compared to other theaters in the area.

Ordale A.

Place rating: 3
Washington D.C., DC

There are some people who will drive 30 miles to go to Walmart to save a buck. There are others who make it their mission to support a local mom and pop even if it means paying a little more out of pocket. That’s how I describe this theater to my friends.
It’s a community theater so the locals help keep it running. Normally in DC that’d make the place shabby but this place is in a pretty upscale neighborhood. The place is clean, well maintained and everyone seems friendly and inviting. As soon as I walked in it reminded me of the old theaters that DC had back in the 80s before the multiplexes took over. That’s a good and bad thing.
It’s good because it has charm. It’s bad because I actually prefer stadium seating and wall-to-wall screens. I forgot what it was like to have to «ignore» the head of the person in front of you obscuring part of the screen. The sound system is pretty good although MIB 3 is the only action movie I’ve seen here. It was clear, loud enough and immersive.
Honestly, I have no qualms with this place. It’s «A-OK» as my 3 stars say. Still, even if they were playing the Dark Knight Rises this summer and it was free… I’d still make my way to a multiplex because some movies, (especially summer blockbusters) you just want to see in a HUGE theater with stadium seats, a HUGE screen and a «voice of god» surround sound system.

Alexandra B.

Place rating: 5
Washington, DC

I went to the Avalon Theatre for the first time today, and now I regret not having gone sooner. This is a charming, beautiful theatre from the 20s that was almost shut down by the multiplexes… and I am SO glad that the community put their heads together to restore it. There are two screens, so it doesn’t have that loud, overly crowded, artificial feel that we’ve grown so used to in cinemas. The place is really classic and the local atmosphere is great. It truly is a staple for the community.
The ticket booth is actually outside like in the old theatres, so it can be bad in rainy or cold weather, but you can also order tickets online. Personally I love that the box office is outside because you can see people waiting and it just gives a further connection to the community.
They also have an excellent film selection. They most often play the more independent, artistic, and foreign films rather than the blockbusters in the multiplex theatres. And even better, they host film festivals, bring in filmmakers for the smaller movies, and host special events for families and seniors. All in all, you’re certainly going to get the most interesting film selection here.
As for the café, it’s a great balance between standard fair and upscale treats. They have the classic popcorn, soda, and candy, but they also have fresh-baked cookies/brownies, wine and beer, small sandwiches, and even ice cream.
In summary, I’ll be making this my go-to movie theatre from now on. I’m so glad to have this right in my neighborhood!

Avalon Theatre

Washington, DC, United States

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20 reviews of Avalon Theatre