Portland >
The Academy Theater7818 SE Stark St, Portland, OR | Directions 97215
45.519050 -122.582732 View Website
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Originally launched in 1948, the Academy Theater was a popular Montavilla destination until its closure in the 1970s. Over the following
years, it fell into disrepair, but a full-scale $1m renovation was completed in 2006, including careful restoration of the glittering rounded lobby with its soaring, metallic two-story dome. Great attention was paid to every detail of the project. Using vintage photos from the original opening night, even the theater's signature marquee has been recreated to imbue the building with authentic 1940s charm.
They also have babysitting for children 6mos to 7yrs! Call ahead and reserve.
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Say you're in the service industry, which is well-represented in Portland, and Mondays & Tuesdays are your weekend. If this is the case head over to the cheap Academy Theater. On Mondays you can watch two movies for six bucks. On Tuesday, tickets are buy one, get one. And they show the good movies too, none of that "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" stuff or whatever movie Ben Stiller is in right now.

Occupying one of Portland’s most family-friendly little hoods, this Montavilla movie house knows its audience—for the price of a Dixie cup of popcorn at a traditional movie theater, you can buy babysitting services (only for the length of your movie, sorry) most days of the week, just call in advance. And where else can you get pizza, hot dogs, Miyamoto sushi and 10 microbrews PLUS kombucha on tap in one place??
Cool atmosphere and family friendly. Very cool atmosphere! It's so wonderful that finally a business takes to heart "family friendly" - providing babysitting, reasonable ticket prices, comfortable seats (movies kids dig, as well as movies for more mature audiences without all the sound-effects of restless kiddos. The best pizza and a beer just top off the experience. Can't wait to try out the kids birthday party! One place that truly is family friendly without simply catering to children alone.
Disappointing. We enjoy the Academy Theater for our cheep movies & beer but the last 3 visits we have noticed how unwanted our business is. The staff seems very annoyed that we are there, and that they are there. I can understand the staff being stressed or having a bad day but after 3 times of being treated so poorly, I don't plan to go back. Simple customer service would do wonders. I see that this is the first review in 2 years....hope things can improve soon.
My favorite movie theater. Portland has such great cheap entertainment and the Academy is a great addition to the list but definitely stands out because its not only cheap, but its clean, modern yet retro styled, has good beer and food and plays a good variety of shows. They also offer babysitting although I haven't tried it. In comparison to the some of hte McMenamins theatres, this place has modernized seating that is tiered so you can actually see the movie and people are generally quieter during the film because if feels like a real theater. I love this place and wish it were closer to my house!
best theater in portland.
i love this place. good selection of movies, super-friendly people, great food and beverages, reasonably prices, comfy seats, never crowded, not too loud (most theaters try to make you deaf, i think).
if it has a drawback, it is the parking, but i usually find a spot within 2 blocks. also, if you need to park further away, head south. the walk in the spring and summer in amazing for gardens that carry into the sidewalks.
Best. This 'second run' theatre is the best, better than the Laurelhurst. The only reason I gave it a 9.5 instead of a 10 is because of the parking, which is street parking. There is nothing I don't love about this place. Not only can you get pizza from Flying Pie Pizzeria but you can get tasty salads.....for those watching their waist. They not only have beer on tap, but hard cider on tap (being a non beer drinker, this I love). The theater's are very comfortable and easy to access. The whole place is extremely clean and well kept. The ambience is warm and inviting. Oh, there are no trailers before the movie. How much better can you get, other than the price being awesome.
They do everything right.. The following are things I really like about the Academy: No commercials before the film, just quiet music. Movies start right on time. All new amenities - sound system and video quality are great, and the seating is comfy - plus nice food trays that fit into the cup holders. Friendly staff. Pleasant neighborhood atmosphere. Good selection of food and drink at reasonable prices. My kids are too old to need babysitting, but even though I don't take advantage of this service, the Academy is my theater of choice for all the other reasons. I have pretty much given up on the megaplexes, now the only place that keeps me from seeing everything on DVD is the Academy.
Great pizza, very nice staff! Overall AAA+++. I love the Academy! What could be better than a great slice of pizza, a cheap movie, and a good beer? The customer service is excellent!
Perfect for families. The Academy Theater is a great place for families. We can take our 3 year old to see a movie and have babysitting for our 1 year old in the same place. The babysitting area is great and the staff are wonderful. I can also go see a movie by myself and leave the kids in the babysitting area. I love it!!
Best option for a family with young kids. Love. Love. Love. That is all we have for the Academy. With a baby, we thought we would never go out again. Then we found this! Movies! Food! Beer! BABYSITTING! Heathy kids snacks! We want to come here every day. We are so grateful that this exists and tell everyone about it!
Wow! Old-timey atmosphere and super friendly staff.
What a great little neighborhood find.
For $10 my son and I bought Two admissions, one medium popcorn, one medium soda and a bag of candy.
The seats are so comfy and the stadium seating is great.
Had I known they sold Pizza , we would have had dinner there too.
The theater is just beautiful...I'll be recommending this place to everyone.
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