Sun-Ray Cinema
Sun-Ray Cinema
5
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 11:00 PM
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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.
5.0
56 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
9
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1
melder1
Jacksonville, FL3 contributions
Sep 2021
I have to leave a review after reading the ridiculous review about not being able to take their own food into the theater to eat it. Looking at Sun-Ray's solid 4 and 5 star reviews, please take that ridiculous 1 star review as a whiny customer who wasn't allowed to take advantage of a small business. I also want to add that I always bring a large yeti to fill with water during my movie, and I have never once been told it was a problem.
Now, if I had packed my own picnic, I would definitely understand why they would take issue with that, considering theaters make most of their income on concessions. Name me a theater that WOULD allow for that. Sun-Ray offers a delicious, moderately priced menu if you are hungry. If you don't want to pay for the food there, eat before or afterwards as you would literally any other theater. As one example, Sun-Ray sells ginormous bowls of popcorn for only $5.50. Name one theater that doesn't charge an arm or a leg for popcorn. Additionally, their popcorn is literally the most addictive movie popcorn (or any popcorn) I've ever had in my life. It is 1000x better than anything you'll find at AMC or Cinemark. Their personal pizzas range from $8-12, sandwiches cost around $8, and even the drinks are reasonably priced. And if you don't care for any of the wine they offer, you can bring your own bottle for reasonable corkage fee ($5)
The reviewer also mentioned that he went to a free event, but was required to buy food. I am not sure what event he attended, but speaking for myself I have attended MANY free events there and never once has anyone forced me to buy anything. I can't even tell you the last time (or even the first time) I even heard of a free event at one of those big name movie theaters. And speaking of ticket prices, Sun-Ray only charges $10.75 vs $14 at those other places. Or go on a Tuesday night for $5!
I have been going to Sun-Ray since moving to this area, and they are a wonderful contribution to this community. The events and movies they put on are always a great time, their prices are extremely reasonable in a very difficult industry, and everyone I've ever dealt with there has never been anything other than nice and you can tell they enjoy working there.
Bottom line, Sun-Ray is a GEM.
Now, if I had packed my own picnic, I would definitely understand why they would take issue with that, considering theaters make most of their income on concessions. Name me a theater that WOULD allow for that. Sun-Ray offers a delicious, moderately priced menu if you are hungry. If you don't want to pay for the food there, eat before or afterwards as you would literally any other theater. As one example, Sun-Ray sells ginormous bowls of popcorn for only $5.50. Name one theater that doesn't charge an arm or a leg for popcorn. Additionally, their popcorn is literally the most addictive movie popcorn (or any popcorn) I've ever had in my life. It is 1000x better than anything you'll find at AMC or Cinemark. Their personal pizzas range from $8-12, sandwiches cost around $8, and even the drinks are reasonably priced. And if you don't care for any of the wine they offer, you can bring your own bottle for reasonable corkage fee ($5)
The reviewer also mentioned that he went to a free event, but was required to buy food. I am not sure what event he attended, but speaking for myself I have attended MANY free events there and never once has anyone forced me to buy anything. I can't even tell you the last time (or even the first time) I even heard of a free event at one of those big name movie theaters. And speaking of ticket prices, Sun-Ray only charges $10.75 vs $14 at those other places. Or go on a Tuesday night for $5!
I have been going to Sun-Ray since moving to this area, and they are a wonderful contribution to this community. The events and movies they put on are always a great time, their prices are extremely reasonable in a very difficult industry, and everyone I've ever dealt with there has never been anything other than nice and you can tell they enjoy working there.
Bottom line, Sun-Ray is a GEM.
Written September 18, 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.
Christine M
Jacksonville, FL315 contributions
Sep 2013 • Friends
What a shame I've lived in Jacksonville for 5 years and have never visited this historic theater before now. This is a beautiful, old theater that is rich in character and history. You feel like you're stepping back into time when you walk in the doors. While there's only one screen here, that's part of the charm. This theater offers movies that are newly released while also offering old movies and smaller, artsy films you can't find at the larger theaters.
The concession stand is great offering food you'd actually like to eat. The popcorn is served in real bowls instead of paper tubs with a selection of delicious toppings. The pizza here is so good that some come in just to order the pizza to take with them. Inside the theater, the ceilings are soaring with comfortable chairs and a table in front of you to conveniently place your food and drink. The concession stand also offers beer and wine.
Coming here provides more than just seeing a movie; it's a whole experience. It's located in the funky and historic Five Points surrounded by unique shops, fabulous restaurants, and a variety of bars. Awesome place!
The concession stand is great offering food you'd actually like to eat. The popcorn is served in real bowls instead of paper tubs with a selection of delicious toppings. The pizza here is so good that some come in just to order the pizza to take with them. Inside the theater, the ceilings are soaring with comfortable chairs and a table in front of you to conveniently place your food and drink. The concession stand also offers beer and wine.
Coming here provides more than just seeing a movie; it's a whole experience. It's located in the funky and historic Five Points surrounded by unique shops, fabulous restaurants, and a variety of bars. Awesome place!
Written September 23, 2013
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.
JasperMarks
Portland, OR214 contributions
Dec 2018 • Friends
Fun old funky theater with mom and pop feel. Popcorn served in metal bowls. Seats have tables in front of them. Stadium style seating so all seats good. Showed a Casper friendly ghost cartoon before the movie and a video of the Ramones singing an xmas song. Lots of places to eat around the theater.
Written December 9, 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.
Meghan L
Jacksonville, FL52 contributions
Jan 2015 • Family
This place is awesome. They make all of their own food, get the coolest movies, and serve beer and wine (along with the food) during the movie, and bring it to your seat so you don't miss a thing! The staff is awesome, the food is awesome, the homemade trailers at the beginning of the movies is almost better than the movies themselves. Support this local business and the great owners that run it. They even do cool events and launches, Christmas sing-a-longs and so much more cool stuff. Definitely and very highly recommended!!!!
Written January 13, 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.
jessieezee
Jacksonville, FL26 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I visited the Sun Ray Cinema for the first time to see Ghostbusters and it was probably the best movie viewing experience I've ever had. The building itself is absolutely gorgeous and holds so much history within its walls. Loved the atmosphere and will definitely frequent often!
Written October 26, 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.
Jerry T
Jacksonville, FL26 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
Sun-ray is my favorite movie theater in Jacksonville, hands down.
The entrance is down a little alleyway in 5 points. When you walk in the door you are greeted by some really unusual monster murals and hit with that iconic popcorn smell. There are some awesome classic video game cabinets on the left, including one Marvel game on a Sega console with all of the original Japanese stickers (100 yen to play).
The snack bar is great. The popcorn is delicious, and is served in metal bowls like you might have eaten popcorn as a kid. There are a number of different salts, oils (including truffle which rocks) and things you can pile onto your popcorn. They also have food, local draft beers and bottles of wine. It's around 5 bucks for a beer, and $18 for a bottle of wine. It's nice to be able to have a drink in a theater that you didn't have to sneak in.
The theater itself is very cool. Sun-ray only has one big screen, and they might feature 2 or 3 movies at any given time. These can range from first-run flicks to art house or the type of films that you see nominated at Sundance. The seats are comfortable, and there is a long wooden table in front of each row of seats to rest your food or drinks on. There's a large chandelier that dims down when the movie starts. The screen isn't as crisp and a newer theater, but sound is pretty robust for a theater this size and age.
All in all, Sun-ray provides a really unique viewing experience and has been one of my favorite things to do in Jax. Definitely worth the trip down to 5-points
The entrance is down a little alleyway in 5 points. When you walk in the door you are greeted by some really unusual monster murals and hit with that iconic popcorn smell. There are some awesome classic video game cabinets on the left, including one Marvel game on a Sega console with all of the original Japanese stickers (100 yen to play).
The snack bar is great. The popcorn is delicious, and is served in metal bowls like you might have eaten popcorn as a kid. There are a number of different salts, oils (including truffle which rocks) and things you can pile onto your popcorn. They also have food, local draft beers and bottles of wine. It's around 5 bucks for a beer, and $18 for a bottle of wine. It's nice to be able to have a drink in a theater that you didn't have to sneak in.
The theater itself is very cool. Sun-ray only has one big screen, and they might feature 2 or 3 movies at any given time. These can range from first-run flicks to art house or the type of films that you see nominated at Sundance. The seats are comfortable, and there is a long wooden table in front of each row of seats to rest your food or drinks on. There's a large chandelier that dims down when the movie starts. The screen isn't as crisp and a newer theater, but sound is pretty robust for a theater this size and age.
All in all, Sun-ray provides a really unique viewing experience and has been one of my favorite things to do in Jax. Definitely worth the trip down to 5-points
Written August 5, 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.
Sarah R
Savannah, GA18 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
My husband and I made a point to visit this theater on a trip to Jacksonville. We love history and old buildings, and I love vegan food, so it was a natural. We weren't disappointed. I just wish I'd been hungry when we visited; I only had room for a vegan strawberry milkshake, which was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try the pizza. The theater itself was comfortable, with a beautiful medallion on the ceiling. It was a smaller theater, which gave a nice impression of intimacy, like watching a movie with friends (even if everyone else was a stranger).
Written July 22, 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.
judolphin
Bruges, Belgium13 contributions
Jun 2013
Sun-Ray is historical because it was the first theater in the United States (one of three) to play movies with sound, but that doesn't matter that much.
Sun-Ray is very community-minded and has a great blend of indy films, blockbusters and themed events based on classic movies.
Definitely come here, and check out the rest of the Riverside/Avondale area.
Sun-Ray is very community-minded and has a great blend of indy films, blockbusters and themed events based on classic movies.
Definitely come here, and check out the rest of the Riverside/Avondale area.
Written July 9, 2013
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.
jordankstoner
1 contribution
Apr 2019 • Solo
Went to a “free” event at this theater only to find that it wasn’t so free after all. It was almost a requirement that I had to buy food from them. I will admit I brought in a sandwich because after all, how many free events serve food right? After being asked not to bring food into the theater I asked if they could make an exception and understandably they could not. I then agreed to walk into the lobby to eat my sandwich. As soon as I did a second, not so professional guy came up to me and asked me to leave... abruptly. I found his mannerism extremely offensive and downright awkward. He threatened to call the cops on me after I was already told by staff that I could eat in the theater’s lobby. Clearly there are severe management issues at play and desperate action to make an example out of me was taken in order to make it abundantly clear to the attendees that outside food was not aloud. I decided to be the bigger person and leave the theater after a more professional and socially skilled person asked me to leave. In retrospect I guess people do silly things when they are desperate for money.
Written April 17, 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.
Angela H
Crystal River, FL9 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
As soon as my husband and I walked up to the front of Sun-Ray Cinema, we knew we were in for a great night. I had checked the theater out online beforehand and was excited to go. We were happily surprised by the decor and retro, vintage and slightly shabby feel. No sterile, bland theater can even compare. We ordered a personal pizza and a Jacked Up Grilled Cheese with a beer. They were delicious and best of all, came on reusable plates. Even the beer, sodas and popcorn are served in reusable containers. Nice! We went early, so we could have a look around and get a good seat. Good idea, as the place filled up fast close to the movie starting. We saw Bohemian Rhapsody and the crowd really got into it. Cheering, clapping, whistling and singing along. It was fantastic! Also, the women's bathroom is all red velvet curtains and mirrors. So glam! If you like your movie theaters bland, with no audience participation, don't go. But if you like character in a place while enjoying a film with a bunch of characters, GO! You will not regret it!
Written November 13, 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.
how far is this from the Metropolitan Park and Jacksonville Landing
Written April 26, 2016
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