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Avalon Atmospheric Theater

4.4 (109 reviews)

Avalon Atmospheric Theater Photos

AVALON ATMOSPHERIC THEATER ATMOSPHERE

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Liz A.

I continue to enjoy going to The Avalon for a movie. Love that you can reserve your seat ahead of time and the QR code for ordering food and beverage. I'm personally a fan of their pizza and chicken tenders if looking for something more substantial while watching a movie. For the traditionalist, their popcorn is amazing. The atmospheric theatre is the largest one they have. Beautiful, twinkling light ceiling. The seats are comfy and rock slightly. The seat tables swing in and out with a nice distance so you don't feel cramped. Hoping to catch a few more movies here before the Oscars.

Faith B.

I was here recently for a film festival event. Great atmosphere, as hinted to in the name. The bar is a nice touch as is the food service, which we did not try. The chairs are comfortable and the sliding TV trays are very convenient. The sound though - man, it's bad! This was extremely evident in a program of short films. Poor quality, uneven and overall just bad. Too bad, since this is such a cool, classic theater.

Buffalo wings
Jennifer Q.

The Avalon Atmospheric Theater is my FAVORITE movie theater!! If there's a movie that I'd like to watch, I check their website to see if they are playing it. This place will always be my first choice to go watch a movie! The atmospheric room has lights on the ceiling, giving off a night sky effect. The Back Stage room is hidden in the back & is smaller, but gives off a cozy feel (just like the whole place). They have a concession stand with your typical items like: popcorn, candy, nachos, etc. & a few meal items. I got some buffalo wings & french fries this time. I definitely recommend coming here before considering a franchise movie theater.

Nic D.

I love Avalon theater! I recently saw Late Night with the Devil during Milwaukee Film Fest. The seats have trays connected to them with QR codes to order food and drink. They offer a wide selection of both, but the popcorn is all you need. Honestly, I think it's the best popcorn I have ever had!! The theater itself is gorgeous and the screens are large. The film festival is such a fun time of the year for movies and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.

Amber K.

Tl;dr great popcorn and sparkly ceiling! I always love my time at the Avalon. Being a small business, I always try and support them when I wanna see a flick on the big screen. I will say it does mean they have a somewhat limited variety of movies (as they have two screens) but they are usually always playing the popular choices. When I was most recently there it was the newest Ghostbuster movie (heart warming cameos!) and Gucci (haven't seen it but I've heard good things) The architecture and ornamental features of the main theater are stunning and beautiful. The ceiling is lit up with a "starry display" that has a shooting star every once in a while! The popcorn is always fresh and delicious and perfectly salted - they also have candies and other snacks and alcoholic beverages (woo!) all seats include a nice little swivel table to make your movie watching experience just a little bit easier. I live in the Bayview area and will continue to support this small business for all my movie-watching needs!

Theater
Emily D.

Have been wanting to try The Avalon Theater for awhile after hearing some great reviews from friends, and it lived up to the hype! The theater it self is a really good mixture of classic and modern. The architecture and overall atmosphere makes you feel like you are in a good old fashion theater. However, the theater also has nice, comfortable seats, trays for food, and a food menu that you can order from the comfort of you seat and without leaving the movie. The popcorn was very good and it tasted like they used real butter. I will definitely be visit The Avalon again soon, and highly suggest it!

Avalon Theater logo.
Christy D. W.

The Avalon Atmospheric Theater is a gorgeous movie palace founded May 1st, 1929! The Avalon and the Oriental are the only remaining movie palaces in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Avalon architect was Russ Williamson who was a former draftsman for famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. There is beatiful Spanish, Moorish, and Mediterranean architectural design. The Avalon Lounge especially has luxurious architectural design. The Bay View Avalon was extensively renovated and reopened in January 2015, after being closed since 2001. The Avalon shows both classic and first run movies. The atmospheric theater has very comfortable seats, fresh concessions, and fresh buttered popcorn. Also, the Avalon features double screens, the main atmospheric theater and the backstage theater. l love the unique atmospheric night sky ceiling lit up with starry lights! The Milwaukee Avalon is one of a select few atmospheric theaters still operating in the world today!

Star ceiling
Jenna E.

This place is great. You order food and drinks to your seat and they have quick service. The stars on the ceiling make you feel like you're in a dream. I highly recommend coming here for a movie and an old fashioned.

Ceiling in the theater!

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1 year ago

The ceiling in this theater is completely magical. They also have the best popcorn ever! Go. See a movie here and experience Bay View.

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Ask the Community - Avalon Atmospheric Theater

What's the difference between the backstage theater and the atmospheric theater?

The Avalon features double screens. The atmospheric theater is the main theater with the star studded night sky ceiling! There is a long hallway the leads to the smaller backstage theater.

Is there any discounts for seniors or people with disabilities?

They have a senior discount for 60+ and military. Never heard of a theater offering discounts for disabilities.

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Review Highlights - Avalon Atmospheric Theater

“The Avalon Theater is hands down my favorite venue to see a movie on the big screen these days.”

Mentioned in 14 reviews

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Rosebud Cinema - Menu board with no prices listed

Rosebud Cinema

4.2(65 reviews)
6.4 mi

Great cinema experience! The staff was friendly and attentive. Loved the living room feel of…read morewatching the movie on a couch.

I lived in Wauwatosa and never got to go to Rosebud. I'd moved in and the pandemic hit and Rosebud…read morewas closed. It didn't reopen until after I moved away from the neighborhood. It took me too long to experience this theater. A recent showing of a film brought my friend and I to Rosebud, me for the first time. I didn't expect a lot, having seen the local indie theaters - it's all about the quirkiness. I was pleasantly surprised at how good the experience was. It's a small theater. They offer pizza, popcorn, candy and drinks, including wine. My friend and I went directly after work so we decided to split a pizza. We were both pleasantly surprised to have a crispy, Milwaukee-style crust on our veggie pizza with real flavor and high quality. They also got it to us before the movie started. Bonus! Service was friendly, and I liked the team. The popcorn was extra tasty - fresh and remarkably chemical free. My friend and I enjoyed it more than most places. The loveseats and sofas for seating were great for us, or for families and couples, but perhaps awkward if you had to sit next to a stranger on a more fully sold-out show. They have tiny tables you can use for your food and drinks, very convenient, especially since you can move them close to you. I'd definitely see more movies here, I wish it were closer to my current address. Also, street parking can be a drag.

Photos
Rosebud Cinema - Comfy loveseats in the theater

Comfy loveseats in the theater

Rosebud Cinema - Concession and ticket stand

Concession and ticket stand

Rosebud Cinema - Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse logo.

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Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse logo.

Milwaukee Film Fest - The BEST of the 2014 Fest!

Milwaukee Film Fest

3.7(6 reviews)
2.7 mi•Downtown, East Town

When I heard the Milwaukee Film Fest was considered to be in the top 10 film festivals in the US…read more(according to a variety of measurables), I was intrigued. When I picked up their festival guide and saw their impeccably curated list of thought provoking and artistically rendered independent films, my interest was officially piqued. And, then, when I read that they were playing a documentary on Bill Nye, the science guy? I was downright excited. I mean. C'mon. Bill Nye. The Science Guy. AmIright?!? Intensely cool. The film was being played at the Downer Theater, which is an wonderful little theater in the upper East Side offering vintage charm and some of the best buttered popcorn on planet Earth. The film was wonderful. The director of the film was on hand to answer questions after the film as well, which was an added bonus. They do encourage patrons to arrive 15 minutes prior to the show to ensure a seat. We arrived 25 minutes prior, purchased our tickets, got in line for entry, grabbed some snacks at the concessions, and took our seats with 10 minutes to spare. You can eliminate a step by purchasing your tickets online, of course. But, I would still recommend getting there at least 15 minutes early. These shows are popular and fill up quickly. If we'd been much later, our party of three wouldn't have been able to get seats together. Their prices are reasonable (not sure if it varies by film, but our tickets were $12) and the service was fast and friendly. We're so lucky to have such an amazing organization bringing the best in thoughtful, independent films to Milwaukee. Truly. The Milwaukee Film Fest is a local gem. Get to it!

It looks like nobody has (positively) reviewed the MFF. I've attended for four years: 2012, 2013,…read more2014 and 2015. It has been amazing to see the festival grow and gain popularity year after year. The best advice I can give you is ARRIVE 15 MIN BEFORE YOUR FILM STARTS. This is communicated when you buy your tickets. Otherwise your seat may be given away to somebody else. This year in particular I rushed for three films...and got into all of them. For those who have never attended a film festival, "rushing" for a film means all of the tickets have been purchased for the showing. The rush line is slowly let in when the ticket holders have been seated (5-10 minutes before the film starts) based on the number of seats available. If you want to rush for a film, get there early. One film I was there an hour early. Depending on popularity, 30-60 minutes is the right amount of time. I was really glad to see that Milwaukee had a film festival when I arrived from Madison where the Wisconsin Film Festival is held. Having attended both festivals, I believe Milwaukee's festival is better than Madison's. It has been great to see more guests and filmmakers arriving in Milwaukee over the years. One of the things that brings more filmmakers to Milwaukee vs. other festivals is that there is not a fee to enter films to be considered for the festival. This means smaller filmmakers are more likely to apply and we in Milwaukee benefit because we get to see the works of those chosen. Many of them have never been to Milwaukee before and leave with a positive sense of our community.

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Milwaukee Film Fest - 2017 Milwaukee Film Fest partners

2017 Milwaukee Film Fest partners

Milwaukee Film Fest - Volunteers working the line at Oriental

Volunteers working the line at Oriental

Milwaukee Film Fest - Opening night party

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Opening night party

Avalon Atmospheric Theater - movietheaters - Updated October 2026

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