The Best Arthouse Cinemas in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit was in its golden period during the age of great movie palaces, with many built in the 1920s and fortunately still standing today. As well as showing the best arthouse, independent and foreign films, these historical and beautiful venues are worth a visit in themselves – here’s our pick of the best.
1. The Redford Theatre
Cinema
2. Detroit Film Theatre
Cinema
3. Michigan Theater
Theater
4. Main Art Theatre
Cinema
Royal Oak’s Main Art Theatre promises an “eclectic mix of sophistication and fun”. It was built in the 1940s as a single screen theatre, but now has three screens showing a selection of independent film and foreign language cinema, as well as a popular summer series of midnight films. It has been operated by Landmark Theatres since the 1990s.
5. Senate Theater
Cinema
Another product of the 1920s, the Senate is an 800-seat theater located on Michigan Avenue in Southwest Detroit. It was closed briefly in the 1950s but was soon acquired by the Detroit Theater Organ Society, who still call it home today. It houses the original pipe organ from the Fisher Theater and they offer several silent films per season accompanied by the “Mighty Wurlitzer”.
6. The Maple
Cinema
The Maple in Bloomfield Hills has a number of inventive programs, including Secret Cinema, a classic film series where the audience doesn’t know what will be shown, followed by a Q&A with the local film professor, critic or enthusiast who chose the film, and Old Hollywood, showcasing films released prior to 1967. The theater lobby also has a coffee shop/bar/bistro.
7. Birmingham 8
Cinema
Another former single-screen cinema built in the 1920s, the Birmingham 8 is half an hour north of the city in Birmingham, MI. In the 1990s it was rebuilt and restored as an eight-screen multiplex theatre, focusing on first run films and smaller independent productions. Each screen also now features luxury reclining chairs.
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