Avalon Theater
Avalon Theater
4.5
This location was reported permanently closed
About
The Avalon Theatre is located in the lower level of the Catalina Casino building. It was built in 1929 as one of the first theaters designed for talking movies. The original Page organ still is played before the movies on Friday-Sunday nights. The theater features first-run movies, seats 1,184 people, is 138 feet across and 43 feet high. Art deco murals by John Gabriel Beckman (designed the artwork in the Grauman's Chinese Theater)adorn the walls and create a glamorous ambiance.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Avalon Theater and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
43 within 3 miles
Attractions
16 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
289 reviews
Excellent
205
Very good
68
Average
14
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Elizabeth S
Seattle, WA77 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Caught the Catalina film festival awards and saw movies that had not been released there. It was fun dress up and to mix with stars under the stars... in the theater.
Written October 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for joining us for the Catalina Film Festival, Elizabeth! We look forward to welcoming you back again next year!
Written October 6, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chrisfjw
Anaheim, CA25 contributions
Jun 2015
Beautiful theater. Take the tour if you can, also visit the museum downstairs. So much history, stories that need to be told and listened to. It's not only beautiful, romantic, and classic- it's educational. I recommend everyone take as much Avalon/Catalina history in as they can. It's absolutely fascinating.
Written July 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2millionmilers
Tooele, UT160 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
Had to revisit this since my husband had his first date here over 40 years ago. Still a movie theater and showtimes only at 7:30. we were on the island for about 8 hours. Very nice walk to this place, prior it was a casino
Written March 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brandy R
San Diego, CA52 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
When I got to Catalina I was really excited about all that the island had to offer. Its off season so I was really looking forward to spending a late night out at the casino. Therefore, I want to be clear with anyone who had the same idea as me that there is no gambling at this casino. The word "Casino" Merely refers to the building being a public gathering place for events.
However, It is a beautiful work of art and piece of history that is well worth the visit. They had 3 different tours of the property when I went. We were able to get the base tour as a package with another tour for just 1$. If you go to the tour booth off the main strip in the center of town they can offer you a 1$ tour of the casino if you book along with the "Skyline Tour"
Every weekend they do a movie showing in the evening at the casino so that might be something fun to check out for a relaxed evening or in the off season when things close down earlier. The week I went it was the new 50 shades of gray movie. They were also offering a tour option which allowed you to take a dance lesson in the ballroom which seemed nice too.
If your the type of person that likes learning about architecture, history, or likes going to events this is a really nice thing to check out!
However, It is a beautiful work of art and piece of history that is well worth the visit. They had 3 different tours of the property when I went. We were able to get the base tour as a package with another tour for just 1$. If you go to the tour booth off the main strip in the center of town they can offer you a 1$ tour of the casino if you book along with the "Skyline Tour"
Every weekend they do a movie showing in the evening at the casino so that might be something fun to check out for a relaxed evening or in the off season when things close down earlier. The week I went it was the new 50 shades of gray movie. They were also offering a tour option which allowed you to take a dance lesson in the ballroom which seemed nice too.
If your the type of person that likes learning about architecture, history, or likes going to events this is a really nice thing to check out!
Written March 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leslie E
Lodi, CA30 contributions
Apr 2015 • Couples
This movie theater is absolutely stunning!! Walking in to the theater there was a man playing the organ while we waited for everyone to sit. The staff is friendly and the place is clean. You must go to this movie theater at least once to see how beautiful it is!!
Written July 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mjbncc1701
Fountain Valley, CA52 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
I convinced my wife to attend the theaters Silent Movie Festival for this year, 2015. They were going to show the silent Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney with live organ and orchestral accompaniment. They also had a talented actress/singer who sang aloud the opera songs that the two female stars of the movie sang onscreen. It was fantastic, all I could ever want in a presentation of this film. The theaters history with the island and visiting film stars of the 1920's to 50's had me star struck and the décor had me was equisite. Now I just have to convince my wife for next year's Festival.
Written July 19, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ClassicCouple
Las Vegas, NV271 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This has to be one the few theaters left that can bring you back in time. I understand that it is the only local movie cinema on the Island but if they would show some of the movies from the Golden Age as does Turner Classic Movies, many of the tourist as well as the local's would jump at the chance to see some of these classics in such a beautiful theater.
Written June 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rose_Amelia77
Clermont-Ferrand, France9 contributions
Nov 2014 • Family
This movie theatre is huge and absolutely beautiful. The artwork in the ceilings, one of the few organs in the world, and just the overall feeling of being inside felt magical and special. Great place and a must see on the island!
Written December 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kyle's Vacations Travel Club
Las Vegas, NV265 contributions
Feb 2020
Wow. So much history. I could only wish and dream to have seen the things happen that are on the pictures on the walls. So beautiful. Are art. The people. The activities. The tour.
Written January 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Billm247
Sedona, AZ52 contributions
May 2019
Prior to seeing the latest Avenger movie in the theater, we listened to the masterful organ player. The organ music was better than the movie!
Written May 28, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Glad you enjoyed the music!
Written June 17, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RoanePrince
Los Angeles, California
Is it a drama theatre or movie and is anything still play there?
Written June 25, 2015
Movie theater and yes it is still open
Written June 25, 2015
Do we need to do anything ahead of time for the tour or can we just tour on our own?
Written April 7, 2015
We don't offer any self guided tours of the Casino. We offer two guided tours, one is called the Casino Walking Tour and the other is the Behind the Scenes Tour. You can purchase tickets for either tour on our website, visitcatalinaisland.
Written April 7, 2015
Showing results 1-2 of 2
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing