Art House Movie Theaters in Houston: 9 Screens for Film Lovers

Houston has nine screens worth seeking out if you care about films that aren't playing at the multiplex. The revived River Oaks Theatre is the city's only surviving Art Deco cinema, dark for three years and then reopened in October 2024. MFAH's film program runs more than 200 screenings a year and owns the only 35mm projectors left in Houston. Rice Cinema has offered free admission for roughly 50 years. And a nonprofit in the East End shows artist-made experimental film you genuinely cannot see anywhere else in the city.

This guide covers eight verified venues plus the annual Houston Cinema Arts Festival. Every venue was confirmed currently operating through its own official website or social media as of October 2026.

The quick list

• For the classic cinema experience: River Oaks Theatre, 2009 W Gray St, River Oaks — Houston's only Art Deco movie palace, revived in 2024.
• For 35mm film: MFAH Brown Auditorium, Museum District — the only 35mm projector in Houston.
• For free admission: Rice Cinema, Rice University campus — $0 tickets, every weekend during the school year.
• For experimental and artist-made film: Aurora Picture Show, East End — a nonprofit showing work you won't find anywhere else in the city.
• For an intimate microcinema: 14 Pews, Sawyer Yards — BYOB, around 50 seats, filmmaker Q&As.
• For Houston film history: DeLUXE Theater, Fifth Ward — opened 1941 as Houston's first African American movie house.
• For a date night under the sky: Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown, Galleria — two open-air screens, free parking, from $11.50.
• For science and nature documentary: HMNS Wortham Giant Screen, Museum District — a 60-by-80-foot screen with 400 stadium seats.
• Once a year: Houston Cinema Arts Festival (October) — films from dozens of countries plus a NASA-partnership short film competition.

How we chose

We looked for screens showing films you won't find at a mainstream multiplex: foreign language, classic repertory, documentary, experimental, or curated indie programming. Every venue was confirmed operating through its own official website or social channels as of October 2026. We excluded mainstream dine-in cinemas and AMC Houston 8, which operates where the old Sundance Cinema was but runs a mainstream-leaning program. Alamo Drafthouse's last Houston-area location, in Katy, closed February 2026.

Hours and schedules change often at smaller venues. Always check the official site before you go.

River Oaks Theatre

River Oaks, 2009 W Gray St · three screens · reopened October 2024

Houston's oldest surviving cinema and its only Art Deco movie palace, River Oaks Theatre opened November 28, 1939 and ran continuously until 2021, when a landlord dispute forced it dark for three years. Culinary Khancepts (an affiliate of the local Star Cinema Grill chain) acquired the building and reopened it October 3, 2024 after a multi-million dollar renovation. The original marquee, terrazzo flooring, and lobby statues were preserved; swivel food-and-drink tables were added to the seating.

Programming covers art house and awards-season indie films, director Q&As, live events, and comedy shows. Recurring midnight Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings revive a tradition that began at this very theater in 1992 and ran for decades before the closure.

The building has three screens: a main auditorium seating nearly 250 and two smaller upstairs rooms seating around 50 each.

Best for: A night out that feels like the movies used to feel. Pair it with dinner from the River Oaks restaurant guide.

Insider tip: The theater sells a Cinema Savant monthly pass (from $25/month) good for one movie per day — one of the better deals in Houston if you go more than twice a month.

MFAH Film Program

Museum District, 1001 Bissonnet St · Brown Auditorium Theater and Lynn Wyatt Theater

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston runs more than 200 screenings a year in two theaters inside the Mies van der Rohe–designed Brown Pavilion (1974). Both rooms carry 35mm reel-to-reel projectors alongside digital — making MFAH the only venue in Houston currently projecting 35mm film.

Recurring series include Korean Film Nights, Latin Wave (19th edition in 2026), Jazz on Film, the Manhattan Short Film Festival, Oscar-Nominated Short Films, and a summer Moonlight Movies outdoor series. MFAH also co-hosts the Houston Cinema Arts Festival each October.

Tickets are typically $9 general admission, with a $2 discount for members, students with a valid ID, and seniors 65 and older. Check the MFAH website for current pricing and any special screenings.

Both Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater have cited the MFAH film program as a venue they attended growing up in Houston.

Best for: Serious film lovers. The rest of the Museum District rewards a full day — start with the Museum District restaurant guide.

Rice Cinema

Rice University, 6100 Main St · free admission · weekends during the academic year

Rice Cinema is one of the few free-admission cinematheques at any major American university. Founded by Jean and Dominique de Menil — the Houston philanthropist family behind the Menil Collection — it has operated for roughly 50 years and maintains 16mm and 35mm analog projection alongside digital. Programming covers foreign film, documentary, experimental cinema, and classic repertory.

Screenings happen almost every weekend during Rice's academic year. Parking is $5 in the university garages.

Admission is $0. That is not a typo.

Best for: Students and cinephiles. The Rice University campus is worth exploring on its own.

Insider tip: Call the film information line at 713-348-4853 or check the Rice Cinema website the week you plan to go — scheduling follows the university calendar and shifts around academic breaks.

Aurora Picture Show

East End, 5601A Navigation Blvd · nonprofit · 2–3 screenings per month

Aurora Picture Show is Houston's only venue dedicated exclusively to experimental and artist-made non-commercial film and video. Founded by media artist Andrea Grover (who later directed the Parrish Art Museum in Southampton, New York), it programs work you cannot see anywhere else in the city: short films, video installations, found footage, and new media — often with the artists present for discussion.

Screenings run two to three times a month. Check the Aurora Picture Show website for current programming and ticket prices.

Best for: Anyone curious about film as an art form rather than entertainment. Aurora regularly programs works by Houston-based artists alongside international experimental filmmakers.

14 Pews

Sawyer Yards, 1502 Sawyer St · BYOB · around 50 seats

14 Pews spent its first 15 years inside a converted 1925 Lutheran church at 800 Aurora St in the Heights — the name came from the 14 church pews that literally served as seating. In 2026 it relocated to the Silos at Sawyer Yards, a Houston arts complex along the Washington Corridor. Capacity holds around 50, the BYOB policy continues, and the programming remains independent film, documentary, and experimental work with filmmaker Q&As built into most screenings.

Schedules are sporadic while the new location settles in. Check the 14 Pews website or social media for the current calendar before you make the trip.

Best for: An evening that ends with a real conversation about the film you just watched.

DeLUXE Theater

Fifth Ward, 3303 Lyons Ave · community film and arts venue

The DeLUXE Theater opened in 1941 as the first African American movie house in Houston. After decades of use, neglect, and eventual closure, it was restored by the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation. Today it hosts film screenings with talkbacks, live performances, and community forums. Programming tends toward documentaries, independent films, and community-relevant works — often with discussion built in.

DeLUXE served as a venue for the 2026 Houston Cinema Arts Festival. The building itself is one of the few surviving segregation-era African American movie houses in Texas and worth visiting for the history alone.

Best for: Documentary and community-focused cinema. One of the most historically significant venues in the city.

Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown

Galleria, 5th level of BLVD Place, 1700 Post Oak Blvd · open-air · from $11.50

Rooftop Cinema Club runs two outdoor screens on the fifth level of BLVD Place, with free parking in the building's garage. Programming mixes indie films, classics, and themed screenings under the Houston sky — more accessible repertory than a strict art house, but a genuinely distinctive cinema experience. Tickets start at $11.50. Hours are evening-only; check the Rooftop Cinema Club website for the current schedule.

Best for: A date night. It makes our list of romantic things to do in Houston for good reason.

HMNS Wortham Giant Screen Theatre

Museum District, 5555 Hermann Park Dr · 400 seats · science and nature documentary

The Wortham Giant Screen Theatre at the Houston Museum of Natural Science has a 60-by-80-foot screen — one of the largest in Houston — with stadium seating for 400 and a Barco 3D digital projection system with Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Programming centers on large-format documentary films: space, natural history, ocean, and nature features tied to HMNS exhibitions. Not traditional repertory, but for documentary filmmaking this screen is the right scale.

Tickets are sold separately from museum admission or bundled with it. Check the HMNS website for current showtimes.

Best for: Families and science enthusiasts. Plan it as part of a longer Museum District day — see things to do in the Museum District.

Houston Cinema Arts Festival (annual, October)

Multiple venues · annual · October

The Houston Cinema Arts Society runs the Houston Cinema Arts Festival each October at venues including MFAH, Rice Cinema, River Oaks Theatre, and DeLUXE Theater. The 2026 edition (18th annual) opened with a film directed by Houston native Bassam Tariq and starring Mahershala Ali. Films come from dozens of countries.

HCAS also runs CineSpace, a short-film competition inviting filmmakers worldwide to create original works using real NASA imagery — a program tied to Houston's identity as a NASA city, and unique in the world. Entries have come from more than 100 countries. Visit the Houston Cinema Arts Society at cinemahtx.org for the current year's calendar.

Best for: Film buffs who want the full Houston cinema experience. More context in the Houston arts and theater scene guide.

Save this: before you go

• Check the schedule on the venue's own site the day you plan to go. Programs and hours change week to week.
• For 35mm: MFAH is the only option in Houston. Their website notes when a screening is specifically in 35mm.
• For free movies: Rice Cinema — $0 admission, $5 parking. Arrive early on popular nights; seating is limited.
• For a date night: Rooftop Cinema Club (from $11.50, open-air) or River Oaks Theatre (the Art Deco building alone is worth it).
• For a talkback: Aurora Picture Show and 14 Pews include the filmmaker or artist at most screenings.
• For a first-time visitor: Start with River Oaks Theatre — the 1939 Art Deco building is Houston film history made physical.
• For Houston history: DeLUXE Theater in Fifth Ward opened in 1941 as the city's first African American movie house. That context makes the film matter differently.
• For the biggest screen: HMNS Wortham measures 60 by 80 feet. Plan it when there's a strong documentary on the schedule.

More Houston arts and entertainment

For live performance in the same part of town: Houston Theater District guide. For galleries that pair well with a film afternoon: Houston art galleries guide. For the full museum landscape: top museums in Houston.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is River Oaks Theatre still open?

Yes. River Oaks Theatre at 2009 W Gray St in Houston's River Oaks neighborhood reopened October 3, 2024 after a three-year closure. It shows art house and indie films, hosts live events, and screens Rocky Horror Picture Show monthly at midnight.

Where can you see 35mm film in Houston?

MFAH (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) at 1001 Bissonnet St in the Museum District is the only venue in Houston currently projecting 35mm film. Both the Brown Auditorium Theater and the Lynn Wyatt Theater are equipped with 35mm projectors. Their website notes when a screening is specifically in 35mm.

Are any Houston movie theaters free?

Rice Cinema at Rice University (6100 Main St) offers free admission. It has operated as a free cinematheque for roughly 50 years, screening foreign film, documentary, experimental cinema, and classic repertory. Parking is $5 in the university garages. Screenings happen almost every weekend during the academic year.

What is the Houston Cinema Arts Festival?

The Houston Cinema Arts Festival is an annual film festival run by the Houston Cinema Arts Society, typically held in October. The 18th edition ran in October 2026. It screens films from dozens of countries at venues including MFAH, Rice Cinema, River Oaks Theatre, and DeLUXE Theater. HCAS also runs CineSpace, a short-film competition using real NASA imagery, open to filmmakers worldwide.

Where can I see foreign films in Houston?

MFAH runs year-round foreign film series including Korean Film Nights and Latin Wave (in its 19th edition in 2026). Rice Cinema programs foreign film every weekend during the academic year, free of charge. River Oaks Theatre shows international art house and awards-season films. The Houston Cinema Arts Festival each October is the broadest showcase of international cinema in the city.

Does Houston have any outdoor movie screenings?

Yes. Rooftop Cinema Club Uptown at 1700 Post Oak Blvd (Galleria area) runs two open-air screens on the fifth level of BLVD Place year-round, with tickets from $11.50 and free parking. MFAH also runs a summer Moonlight Movies outdoor series on its grounds in the Museum District.