Once you go Landmarks Del Mar Theatre, you can never go back.This place renders it impossible to catch a film anywhere else- reserved seating, lack of commercials, cap on trailers, and most of all, a sophisticated clientele.

Beautiful Art Deco movie theater in downtown Santa Cruz. Check out the gorgeous ceilings and tile work all over the theater. We saw Royal Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew here recently, and it was a fun crowd. We appreciated that the popcorn had real butter (just like in the olden days! lol). Like many old theaters, the seats could use some extra padding.The restrooms made us laugh as they seem to have been transplanted from a kids summer camp.

This place is marvelous. Very fun midnight showing of cult classics, fan favorites, and classic films. They even do raffles at the beginning of some movies where you can win movie related items. The theater itself is so cute and nostalgic- a must go!!

What a great theatre! Easy in and outs of the venue with the extra wide aisles. Sound and image quality was solid, but the only negative was limited food options. I know I should feel guilty but they didn’t have any hotdogs to clog my arteries. Would definitely come back to this venue again

The Dell Mar is a gorgeously restored old classic thirties movie house with neon marquee and art deco ceilings, but the seats are new and very comfortable and the projection systems starts of the art. A local treasure and a great place to see great movies.

Lovely theatre. Their midnight showings are so fun and they often get movies no one else does. Seats are comfy and staff is very friendly.

An awesome theater to see independent films and blockbusters in the Downtown. Surrounded by restaurants and shops leave you entertained before, during, and after your movie. Partialy wheelchair accessible with shows around the clock.

Beautiful old movie theater. I would give it five stars except for the seats are a bit cramped. Fair selection of movie concessions at standard movie concession prices but the beauty of the building itself and its Art Deco style are a treat. The womens restrooms are like a throwback in time. There is a greeter who welcomes you and introduces the movie before each showing and points out emergency exits. This theater and the Nickelodeon which is just a couple of blocks away are our favorite place has to see movies as they typically carry indie, foreign and alternative movies.

The Del Mar theater provides a great atmosphere and theater going experience! I recently attended one of their october midnight movies, and it was a great time. due to the stadium seating, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house, and the staff is all wonderfully friendly. My only issue with this theater is the strangely low walls in the mens bathroom, which is a little off putting at most.

1920s era Art Deco theater. Loges were split into two screen decades ago. So there is a big main screen and two smaller theaters. All have traditional but nice seating, and quality sound. Candy and a good selection of bottled juices.

Beautifully restored artdeco theater downtown Santa Cruz. I like that the sound wasnt so loud it hurt my ears.

Great old fashioned place with stadium seating and few screens. Helpful and friendly staff. Midnight screenings. Shows few independent films as well.

My favorite movie theater, full stop. The theater is a restored Art Deco building from the 1930s. The interior is beautiful and the movie selection is top notch. The theater hosts weekly midnight movies, which are always amazing and range from Tommy Wiseau appearances for The Room to live-shows of Rocky Horror put on by UCSC students. All around a great place.

Along with its nearby sister theater, only place to see independent films in Santa Cruz county. A consistent pleasure.

Midnight showing of the original Ghost Busters movie with 2 raffles for Ghost Busters 1 and 2 on dvd. It was great. Pop corn was fresh and seats comfy.

Older, beautiful, smaller theater. Friendly staff. Clean. On the main strip of Down Town Santa Cruz, Pacific Avenue. There is no parking lot but metered parking on the street which is hard to grab but a parking garage is nearby. It is a Landmark Theater. They play mostly independent art-house films. They offer unique, more higher-end snacks.

Honestly, one of the nicest and cleanest independent theaters I have ever been to. Very classic, cozy, comfortable, and fun to go to every time I come.

My favorite theater. Super down to earth. Amazing popcorn!

This is, by far, my favorite theater in Santa Cruz. The staff is wonderful, they treat you like family. I love the fact they do midnight movies on the weekends, all cult classic films. Definitely worth going to if youve never been. Dont miss their midnight lineup.

I love The Nick and the Del Mar theaters. Ive been going there since the mid 70s.

Such a beautiful design. Timeless and so personal when they come out and announce before the movie.

Nice old classic theater, and clean.

Nice comfortable old time movie theater ... good seats.

I wish they had more comfy seats...but I love the old building...lots of character.

The Del Mar is a beautiful old theater (100 years?).Landmark features art house cinema: mostly lesser known and foreign films - virtually impossible to find these days. There are only two screens, but one block away is the smaller Nickelodeon theater (also Landmark) with 4 more screens. The seats are new and quite comfortable. They dont gouge you for food and drink. Ticket prices still reasonable. No reserved seating - hooray! There is a large and comfortable lounge where film groups can have conversations. Here you get a theatre experience that is virtually unknown anymore.

Been going here for over 30 years. They play great movies. Ones you can’t see at the big blockbuster theaters. Their popcorn is organic and they use real butter. Hope they and the Nickelodeon stay around for another 30 years!!

We enjoyed our experience at the theater, very Lounge oriented environment you can actually have a nice time in the waiting area. The food is actually well priced and good quality great coffee and everything is fresh… really love the decor, will come back

Absolutely love the popcorn here, and the special events. A must-do in Santa Cruz. Beautiful architecture.

Amazing theater. Would highly recommend visiting for the lovely decor alone

Coolest place around, just wish they got some more main stream movies. Theater 1 is amazing the art, theater 2 and 3 have very small screens compared to all other big theaters and the old normal theater chairs. First come first serve still, theres no assigned seating. Midnight movies and special events are where its at. People come to just look at the architecture too. Its funko deco 1938 built. The employees are always into films and giving advice and friendly service.

Beautifully preserved Art Deco cinema with well curated film selection. Plus ran by nice people.

Small place but very cozy we took our daughter to watch Coco the movie it was great

Such a cool place to watch a movie. Beautiful building and great ticket prices.

One of, if not the oldest theaters in the Santa Cruz area. I was lucky enough to attend performances here when it was still in its original condition with comfy couches, chairs and antique lamps in the upstairs lobby.So glad that this historical landmark was saved and rescued as opposed to theaters like the Alhambra Theater in Sacramento, which is now the location for a large-chain grocery store

Great film ( Isle of Dogs). Del Mar and Nickelodeon have the best films and the best popcorn. Real butter and if u havent tried the nutritional yeast on it, well, its awesome! And friendly, competent staff.

I love this theater! I have been going here my whole life and it seems timeless. I always enjoy their pop corn (they have yeast!!) brownies and tea. Very clean. Beautiful theater!

An historic movie theater, fun to take your significant other for a flick and the great popcorn!

This theater is a local treasure! A beautiful building in the heart of downtown. Fantastic selection of off-the-beaten-path films.

This place is really cool just to look at and lounge in. The fact that its also a theater makes it an even better place to visit!It has all local treats in their concession stand. The upstairs womens bathroom is super cute -if not a little short for tall people, but in a fun way And the ticket prices are reasonable.This should be a stop on your next trip to downtown Santa Cruz!

I love the school of theater. They show lots of wonderful movies and cant beat the popcorn!

Great Historical Theater in downtown Santa Cruz. Very comfortable seats.

Stunningly beautiful old theater, plush seats, and large screen. Staff were very friendly and helpful. This venue is much more desirable than a multiplex.

This is a beautiful theater and, together with the Nick, presents a great lineup of films. They have three screens, an art deco interior, and a lounge area. Its just a couple of blocks away from two parking garages, so Ive never had trouble getting to a movie.

So much Nostalgia, what else can I say. Marvolous darling!

Love this place.. And The Nick. Just a while different culture from the mainstream theaters including that they dont beat you over the head with way too much and too loud pre-movie crapola.

Fun theater with a flair of the old and new. Seats were very comfortable with plenty of legroom. Concessions were comparable with other major chains.

Such a beautiful theater. They have indie movies and special shows like Rocky Horror or showings of the Royal Shakespeare Company. By far my favorite theatre

Great seats! Show up early, there is nothing assigned seating. The popcorn is organic and the coffee is good. Good theatre for a date, movies are pretty good, usually a nice mix of mainstream and artsy.

Beautiful antique theater, delicious popcorn. Im serious, the popcorn is better here than the bigger theaters, dont know why. Its magic. Friendly staff too, and you dont have to reserve your seat, so you can still meet up and sit with friends even if you are running late!

Such a treasure of downtown Santa Cruz. One of the few remaining historic buildings after the Loma Prieta earthquake. Beautifully restored to its splendor by a caring group some years ago. Wonderful snack bar and comfortable seating. The upstairs lounge is a nice place to sit and visit or have an event. Their theaters are great for hosting presentations as well as watching films. I have enjoyed both here and invite you to check them out. Suggest parking in the nearby city garage as street parking is limited and metered.

Pretty good movie theater. Nothing overwhelmingly positive or negative about it.

A beautiful historic theater that actually has good food (including real butter on the popcorn). They show a mix of major motion pictures and smaller prestige/indie ones, plus crowd-pleaser midnight-movie favorites. They also host some community events.

Loved the vintage feel of this old theater. We saw Green Book with Viggo Mortenson and it was awesome. Ticket prices were less than I expected(?)

This theater is by far the best in keeping it old school. I feel that it is comfortable enough to enjoy a great sub titled flick, but thats just my opinion. The bagel dogs are great and the coffee is a plus! I give it 5 stars.

Watched a crazy movie here. Awesome

Nice seats, wish they could recline or had like a foot rest

Best popcorn of any movie theater ever. Nice place with good seats and prices. One of my favorites

If you are looking for an old movie theater feel, this place is for you. There are only a few theaters in here, and it has a very old feel. The seats here are quite uncomfortable and there is very little leg room here.

Great little theater. Saw Trainspotting 2 here, was the only theater in 60 miles showing it. If youre looking for smaller theaters with a more eclectic selection and a really cool, classic art-deco style, check this place out. Loved it, will be going back!

Since I have been going to this theater for many, many, many, years I have still absolutely love it. The seats upstairs are not as comfortable as they could be but that would not deter me from enjoying this beautiful old theatre.

Love this restored theatre.....especially the retro bathrooms and upstairs seating area. The grand auditorium is where to watch all your films! Super comfy seats and delicious popcorn.

Always super fun, the host is funny and entertaining. I always enjoy coming to this theater.

Fantastic big theater, not lots of little mini movie rooms like everywhere else.

It was a real good time and it took me back 30 years rekindling joyous memories of best friends and life long cherished life altering memories. I had not seen the movie in over 30 years. It’s a 1975 cult film aficionados delight. The audience participation was phenomenal. All kinds of young ladies and men took to the stage in front of the giant movie screen in costume, dancing, gyrating and singing along to the movie It was an over the top entertaining event.I have not been so entertained for too many years. When I was growing up in Southern California in the Greater Los Angeles suburbs we would often attend the midnight mass at Iconic Rialto Theater in South Pasadena, California. Those showings were such a warm sharing time spent with childhood friends and of course the die hard seasoned veteran fans. It seems so long ago but the memories often return to me and I splendor in my youthful memories of time long ago before marriage, fatherhood and joining the indentured working force in Silicon Valley. What a difference 30 years makes on a persons go to happy memories. Growing up in the 80’s along with our now oldies, LOL music, because they were some of the happiest years of my life. It was a fun carefree time and my dear friends and I were immersed in the activities of the era.We are only young once as we pass thru this life and I can honestly say that my friends and I tried our best to immerse ourselves into the times. I would not have wanted to miss this joyous time of youth, exploring and experimentation for anything.If you have never seen the movie, you should, it’s a decadent, crazy shameless pleasure. Amongst the cast are a very young Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry. They play their roles with an enthusiastic abandoned. Many a viewer lost their innocence and virginity after seeing the Late Night Motion Picture Show. Truly it was a rite of passage if you lived in or near the Greater Los Angeles region

Great old theater. Sits are a bit close together and dont offer much comfort or leg room, but stunning building overall. The butter on the popcorn is delicious and a bit different from what youd be used to at a normal theater. This is the place to go for indie/off the main stream movies.

The seats are very roomy, and the atmosphere of this theater is very nice. Its an old-school theater built when going to the movies was a luxury. They also sponsor many awesome events like the Midnight Movies and the Secret Film Festival!

The people working there tonight were friendly. The theater was great. I was one of about 4 people seeing I, Tonya and the only one watching 3 Billboards. Plenty of dysfunctional family life for one evening.

One of the best movie theaters around. Great asthetic and placement, mid-downtown with some cool neon signage and entrance. And they have amazing reclining seats in their lower theaters. They accept MoviePass now which is great as well.

Great theater! They usually have the indie movie your friend wont stop talking about.The main theater is huge and beautiful!Last time I was there they were not doing the pick your seat when you buy your tickets thing

GREAT MIDNIGHT HORROR MOVIES

Really friendly and beautiful theater. First time here. Were going to be regulars.

Been coming here for years! 2 theaters with a mezzanine. Staff always been friendly. They have non carbonated drinks, cookies, popcorn with real butter and other snacks. Great local spot!

I love the films, staff, pop corn only wish the seats were more comfortable

Jumped out of a time machine and landed here. really fun, even if the bathrooms are made for short people. put on good events and play indie movies. not gonna find many mainstream films showing here but very thankful there are still places like this that exists...rocky horror picture show play and a movie screening is a must for students.

Old-fashioned theater that has been updated with modern amenities. Usually has a selection of independent films. Nice way to reminisce about the good old days of cinema!

It is a beautiful old venue downtown....but I found the seats uncomfortable. I think its time new seats.

Simple theatre that films not too new movies. But love the overall ambience.

The Del Mar is a classic movie house restored from a bygone era and has a really cool nostalgic vibe. For being such an old theater, they have done a good job upgrading the speaker and projection systems because the sound and picture quality or definitely up to par. Also, dont expect to see big budget movies from the major studios here. This theater mainly caters more towards independent and arthouse films. The first time I came here I was walking behind a tourist family on the street that looked up at the marquee and said quote Ive never even heard of any of these movies. And I just laughed to myself as I walked in. The only fault I have with this theater is that the chairs are really stiff and I found myself constantly readjusting in my seat to try and get comfortable. I havent seen a movie in their larger palace theater, but based on the pictures it looks like the seats in that theater are more comfortable. Other than that, I love this old school gem.

Beautifully kept old theater house. Great movie experience!

A cozy classic theater. The screen size is great, so the sound.

Great place. Friendly people. Antique setting.Excellent popcorn and prices comfy seats.

What a beautiful theatre. Great seats and nice large screen.

Old-style theater with comfortable seats.

Great theater, love the hometown vibe, very relaxed and good shows

3 screens, best popcorn and yeast, lovely old movie theatre. Also fun midnite movies especially Rocky Horror.

Great theater.Real old school vibes.Could use some better seating tho.

Wonderful old theater with period decor, a wide variety of films, including non-main stream, and a program of live recordings of plays and operas spread throughout the year.Anyone who has not attended at least one of National Theater Live’s offerings - usually screened for one evening and a Sunday lunchtime, (if being toured for the first time), or one evening, (if being repeated), is wasting an unique opportunity. These wonderful, filmed plays, featuring world class actors, set designers and music, are available to us, here in Santa Cruz, for a much lower entry fee than at any nearby venue e.g. The Lark Theater or Sebastopol’s Rio.

Have good variety of snacks

Beautifully restored theatre showing top notch movies. Santa Cruzs best movie theatre.

Pleasantly surprised by the low price and nice seating. Theres a raffle before the movie where they give out stuff, which is pretty cool.

Beautiful old restored movie theater in downtown Santa Cruz,comfortable seats and 1 large,2 smaller screens.

Watch something different and relive the days of classic cinema by supporting this theatre. The flashing marquee will catch your eye, the art deco interior will make you stop in awe and the film experience will take you elsewhere. Just dont forget the popcorn and please, turn your phones to silent.

This is a cinema in the proper sense of the word. You know it from the moment you see the cinema from the street. Big and imposing. The inside is classic art deco cinema. Seating comfortable and the staff friendly.

Great theater.

The staff are the best

Fantastic old theater. Great movies.

Old time movie theater!! The best place to watch a movie with kids and on a date.

So important to keep these historical gems alive!! I loooove the snack selection! And that they support other local businesses

I love all the classic movies they play. i remember the first time i ever came here and saw a movie was when the babe first hit theaters!

Brings in very good movies. Their food is actually good - real butter for pop corn, good coffee, etc.