Great shows, proper old school theater with good acoustics and local orchestra, easy to get in by checking surname

It's great that there's a place like this in Olympia. The staff were friendly, the movie screen and acoustics fine. But. Oh. My. God. The seats!!!!!! I can't go back. The seats are all old, springs broken, the seat portions slope downward. We tried a few in our one trip--and more on the way out (with our backs sore). Almost left a great movie due to the pain of these awful seats. I hate to rag on an local establishment run by volunteers and a fil society. But I feel the need to warn people for the sake of their butts and backs. Someone seriously need to get a fund raiser going to fix the awful seating. At the very least, bring your own pillows. read more

As a longtime member, I can tell you that this place is in serious decline. The seats are small, hard and filthy. It's actually painful to sit through a movie. Some seats have springs coming out. You will be amazed at how dirty and stained these seats are. It's way too cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer. No ventilation at all which is crazy. Movies frequently start late and/or something is wrong with the sound and picture. They use volunteer projectionists and it shows! The bathrooms are incredibly small and incredibly gross. Main floor bathroom is single occupant (!) which isn't great when there's a few hundred people in attendance. The customer service is always awful. Ticket seller is grumpy and rude for no apparent reason. Concessionaires are slow and confused. They're volunteers too, of course. Hopefully the theater will be sold soon. It's time someone else had a turn with the place. read more

What a gem the Capitol Theatre is! Two of us went last night to see all of the Oscar-nominated short films in the category of animation, and it was a real treat. The popcorn was just-popped and perfect for watching a moving picture show. The staff were all very friendly and accomodating as I traipsed around after the movie to snap photos. The 2nd floor concession stand has been converted to a salon that serves beer and wine on Fridays. This would be the perfect place for any film-lover to volunteer. I really want to come back on a Friday night to hang out with the OFS people! read more

See all

Just watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, three nights in row. We hadn't been to this theater since moving here 2 years ago. It was SO fun! The retro feel, the volunteer staff, the concessions- we can't wait to go to another show here. We're looking at music concert tickets and movies coming up in the next few months. Capitol Theater is a huge asset to Oly! read more

Capitol Theater - Screen & stage from the balcony. - Cinema Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Volunteer ran place. It is usually a bit chilly in here so dress warm. Great old style theater at decent prices. I paid $8 for a showing at 2:30pm on a Sunday. No parking lot at the theater, you must find street parking or a parking lot near by. read more

Capitol Theater - Street view - Cinema Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Classic single screen movie theater. Live shows too! Move over Netflix! do you Like old film, no "FILM"? This is your house! I saw Jonathan Richmond here in an intimate back stage show. Road runner, road runner! read more

This is one of Olympia's best gems. The always have a great array of movies and films showing. The staff is super helpful and their concession stand is on point. Their concession stand literally has a ton of different options and seasonings for the popcorn. This theater is also used for different craft faires, etc. throughout the year. It is an essential part of the downtown Olympia area. read more

One of the things I was most nervous about when I moved away from Seattle was losing my beloved art house movie theaters. I was a devotee of Landmark and the Grand Illusion and all those little awesome places that showed all those little awesome movies, and I was afraid that moving to Olympia meant I was going to be leaving all that behind me. Fortunately for me, I have the Olympia Film Society. I love that they show obscure things, I love that they rotate through them at a fairly rapid pace and two-at-a-time, and I love that they have special events. I love that it's never crowded and you can lose yourself in a movie without having to squish into seats, and you can put your feet up on the balcony while chewing on popcorn. I love that it's run by volunteers (I still need to get around to becoming one myself). This is an excellent place, and I'm glad it exists. THE ONLY THING that I don't like about it is the seats. Which I am sure everyone knows. Someone give this lovely place a huge donation so they can buy themselves some new seats :) read more

Nearly everywhere I've lived there has been an indy theater of this sort. Capitol may not be the fanciest or newest, but it consistently shows the best films. And it's clean, is run by friendly people, and serves great coffee. AND their concession prices are shockingly reasonable. We should all be supportive and visit more often. It's easy, since it's surrounded by so many great places to eat... Acqua Via, Basilico, Thai Pavilion, QB, etc. It would be tragic to lose this theater. Go ahead... sign up for a membership and start hanging around downtown more often. You'll be a better person. read more

This place is great! I miss the little places like this. Everything seems to have been swallowed up by Regal or Loews or something. This place shows Indie Films and seems to run off of donations as well as profit. We went to see Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. The picture-quality and the sound were great. I couldn't really ask for more. They did do a raffle drawing and I won a free small drink and a popcorn! Yay! :) I'll redeem that next time I'm in. Great thing: the candy and stuff is a normal price. I'm not a fan of bottled water, but I forgot my own so I had to spend... *drumroll*... like $1 for a bottle. Mom wanted candy, so I had to oblige.. then Dad did... I spent under $4 for a bottle of water and 2 bags of candy. $4 would have gotten me a dirty look at a chain cinema. I'm definitely coming back here again. read more

I absolutely love this place. I remember coming here when I was a teenager for shows in the backstage and skanking to Engine 54 with my friends. Those were the days. These still are the days! The place is still great. The Olympia Film Society is one of the few things Olympia has going for it after all these years. If I want to see one of the artsier, major motion pictures that did not come to one of the big corporate theaters in town then I go to OFS. If I want to see an independent film that definitely never would have made it to Olympia then I go to OFS. If there is absolutely nothing else worth seeing in the theaters and they are showing a film that was in theaters a month or so ago that I want to see again (i.e. Burn After Reading next week) then I go to OFS. Basically, I just default to OFS. OFS is volunteer run which means that the people love what they are doing and it always shows. I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for volunteer run organizations and their staff. I have not seen a backstage show here for a long time so I cannot reasonably comment on those. My five star rating is based entirely on my movie-going experience which has never disappointed. read more

The Capitol Theater is run by volunteers by the Olympia Film Society. The theater is a nice venue to watch movies, it wide and spacious! The programming choices that come through the Capitol Theater is very interesting and they keep things fresh! They bring in lots of independent films, many that I am not sure if even Seattle gets. Seattle has so many theaters though that it is hard to know what is all played there however. In addition to many independent films they bring in more mainstream movies as well but ones with more of an edge to them. Some of these films they do not get as soon as some other theaters may. The Capitol Theater and the Olympia Film Society also offers memberships here. If you choose to not get a membership the cost of tickets are about eight dollars, unless probably if it is a special event or something. The Capitol Theater only accepts cash, credit and debit cards are not accepted. read more

Visited this theater for the first time Sunday. We saw the documentary "Jane". It's an old little theater in downtown Oly, but it's so cute! Everyone that works here is a volunteer and they are all so nice & welcoming. We bought some popcorn & candy and I was honestly shocked at the affordable prices of everything! I'm used to paying around $10 for a small popcorn! They also have a selection of popcorn flavorings that you can add yourself which is a plus. The seating is pretty small, so please be aware that if you're tall like my boyfriend is, 6ft, your legs might get uncomfortable after a while. I've seen all of Jane Goodall's documentaries and I love them all. I really enjoyed coming here & will DEFINITELY be visiting this wonderful little theater again! read more

I've only been here once, and it was to see !Tchkung!. The venue is smallish but classy and funky. The sound was awesome, although I'm not sure if it was brought in by the band or if the theater owns it. I had a really great time here though :) read more

Films continue to rock. Narrow spacing between rows is cramping my style (and my knees) for these lengthy films, though. I'll be by the aisle or up front, I guess. The flavor-your-own-popcorn thing is extra-endearing since they offer to let your flavor it at the halfway point AND the top. Almost makes up for the lack of butter. read more

We are one. I have been here only once to see Fvgazi plus other good Olympia bands. I appreciate you and your cult. I danced my axe off! We are free! LOL! read more

Great film selection and events! The hardworking staff are always eager to hear ideas and sometimes incorporate them into their programming. Best popcorn around, offering butter and a variety of seasonings (brewers yeast, Cajun, garlic powder...). Lots to do, see, explore and witness! read more

Indie & arthouse theater with beautiful chandelier. Popcorn fixin's include nutritional yeast and soy sauce in spray bottle. Heating costs are probably wayyy outside of the Olympia Film Society's budget so if you come here during the never-ending Olympia winter, come prepared. I mean blanket, hat, scarf, coat, gloves, thermos of hot cocoa. No, I am not joking. It can be f r i g i d in there. If you can, attend one of their all-night themed movie binges such as All Freakin' Night (all night horror-movie-thon) or screening of all Lord of the Rings films back to back. I wish they would have more shows here a la the days of yoyo a go go and suchlike. Sigh. read more

I just came home from seeing a live performance of "Hairspray" at the Capitol. The actors, the orchestra, the choreography, the dancing, the set design, the intimacy of the small theater, all simply amazing! Tickets were $15. Better deal than a movie at the Multiplex. read more

The theater is amazing. It reminds me of going to the movies as a child. Nothing fancy, seats won't put you to sleep but are comfortable. One of the volunteers made a few announcements before the movies started then they had raffle for a free bag of pop corn and soda. How cool is that. Oh by the way the movie "Jeff, who lives at home" was insightful and charming. read more

This is a great nonprofit theater in the "art house" family. We were there for part of the 19th Annual Olympia Film Festival. Staff (many volunteers) are friendly and helpful. The film festival offers a wide range of creative and funky choices. We visited from Portland so only have had this one time experience, but I am definitely getting on their mailing list since it is just a 2 hour drive and offers another unique setting to see amazing (and sometimes obscure and hard-to-find) films. read more

Been to this theater for a few shows. Service is always pleasant and the shows are always good. However the theater itself is outdated and for most of the show I'm uncomfortable and sometimes in pain. Something to think about if you have neck or back problems. read more

Great indie films and sleepers alike. The events they hold are well done too. Such as Burlesque, Oscar Party, Prohibition Celebration and Comedy/Musical guests! Go! read more

One of the reasons i'm happy to call olympia home!! The movies they play seem hand picked to my taste (most of the time), not the most comfortable seats i've sat in but that's minor. The movies make you think, they expand your mind, they entertain, and they entertain. I love the movie festivals they have. Love the volunteers that run the place. Love that they have nurtritional yeast to sprinkle on my popcorn and liquid braggs. Love the rotation art display. read more

I've been to a lot of cinema houses and movie theatres in my adventures, and this one aesthetically takes it. Very classic. Bi-level, mezzanine, balcony, call it what you will, but just a very pleasant setting. They even raffle off popcorn and soda, just sucks if you buy some and then win the raffle, but I heard it's good for a return visit, I didn't win :( Great great venue, and I saw Heartbreaker (french with English subtitles), what a funny movie. read more

Great place and pretty cool date night. Lots of variety in what you will see and it is all very "Indie." The entire place is also very unique in its design and layout so it is a must see for a few reasons. We will be back. read more

the capitol is home to the olympia film society which, according to their website, is "a membership based, community arts organization run primarily on the energy of fabulous volunteers." OFS plays double-features at the capitol almost daily, and also opens the space up for bands and things. on special occasions they host events like homoagogo, the sex worker's art show, and the stonewall youth drag show, all of which are equally fantastic to the theatre itself. read more