The Prytania Theatre is a historic, single-screen theatre that shows indie films, children's films, and classic films. As the oldest operating theatre in New Orleans, it's one of the only suburban single-screen theatres left in the whole state of Louisiana.
As a local landmark, the Prytania Theatre draws thousands of visitors and locals each year. After single-screen theatres were made obsolete by large, multi-screen theatres in the city, the Prytania Theatre took a different approach in showing classic and art films to reach a broad audience.
Prytania Theatre - one of the highlights of 10 Best Things to Do After Dinner in New Orleans (Read all about New Orleans here)
photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans (CC BY 2.0) modified
Prytania Theatre Highlights
Opening in 1915, before relocating to its current location in 1927, the Prytania Theatre not only showed feature films but also even hosted community events like fashion shows back in the day. It is one of the oldest continually operating theatres in the Southern United States.
Even the owners of the Prytania Theatre are historic, as the Burnet family has been operating theatres in the New Orleans area for over 130 years. The Burnets like to boast that at any point, there are three generations of the family working at the venue.
photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
Good to know for visiting the Prytania Theatre
The Prytania Theatre shows a wide variety of films, so be sure to check out their website for their current showing. The venue also offers events, such as an Oscar Night Watch Party with curated film showings. Before your trip, take a look at the schedule of events and screenings to plan your itinerary.
The theatre also rents the auditorium for parties and special events by reservation, so it may sometimes be closed to the general public. The venue offers opportunities for burgeoning filmmakers to utilise the facilities for 4-wall screenings, post-production colour and sound tests, and private screenings of their films.
photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified
Prytania Theatre
Location: 5339 Prytania St, New Orleans, LA 70115 US
Open: Hours vary
Phone: +1 504- 891-2787
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