If you're interested in an immersive theater experience, there are several options available throughout Indianapolis. You can take moviegoing to another level with features like enhanced seating, state-of-the-art technology, and gourmet food. Check out these local picks for your next film experience.
Studio Movie Grill College Park
Image via Unsplash by Felipe Bustillo
The Studio Movie Grill College Park (3535 W. 86th St.) revolutionizes the theate experience with seat-side food and beverage service. The SMG app streamlines every part of your visit. Use the app to purchase tickets in advance, order food and beverages from the comfort of your seat, and request service if you need assistance during the film.
The College Park SMG features an extensive menu of food options. Choose from snackable starters like ballpark chicken nachos, cheesy bread, pretzel bites, and chicken wings, or go for a full entree like the jumbo coconut shrimp, BBQ bacon cheddar burger, or spicy buffalo chicken flatbread. You can serve your sweet tooth with decadent alternatives to traditional theater candy like a brownie sundae, beignets, or warm chocolate chip cookies.
The Studio Movie Grill also has a full bar with wine, draft and bottled beer, and cocktails like an XL Long Island iced tea, frozen 'rita, or Cruzan mango mojito.
Landmark Keystone Art Cinema and Indie Lounge
If you're interested in viewing something more original than the traditional first-run movies, check out the Keystone Art Cinema and Indie Lounge (8702 Keystone Crossing Blvd). Conveniently located on the second floor of the Fashion Mall at Keystone, this theater features documentaries, independent films, restored classics, and foreign language films. The seven state-of-the-art auditoriums in the Landmark Keystone Art Cinema deliver an outstanding viewing experience, while gourmet concessions keep guests well-satisfied in the food and drink realm.
The adjacent Indie Lounge serves alcoholic beverages that you can enjoy in the bar or take into the theater with you. You must purchase your movie ticket first as you can't take alcoholic beverages back out into the concession lobby. The lounge serves several local Indiana brews including Sun King's Osiris Pale Ale, Wee Mac Scottish Ale, and Sun Light Cream Ale as well as Flat 12's Half Cycle IPA.
AMC Castleton Square 14
AMC Castleton Square 14 (6020 E. 82nd St.) delivers a state-of-the-art viewing experience with Dolby Cinema, IMAX theaters, and RealD 3D for a clear digital 3D look at select movies. Reserved seating allows you to save the exact spot that you want to enjoy the film from. This theater has AMC Signature recliners that kick back comfortably so you can easily lounge and put your feet up during the show.
The concessions here go above and beyond with the Feature Fare menu which includes mouthwatering picks like flatbread pizza, curly fries, pretzel bites, and mac and cheese bites. You can even order in advance so your food is ready for pick up when you arrive. Coca-Cola Freestyle machines help you craft your soda of choice from a seemingly endless range of options. AMC Castleton Square is also home to MacGuffins Bar where you can get beer, wine, and select spirits to enjoy with the film.
Tibbs Drive-In Theater
The only drive-in theater in Indianapolis, Tibbs keeps this time-honored tradition alive with seasonal films in select months. Tibbs has four screens for convenient viewing of all the latest movies. Cars simply line up beside the marked poles and tune in to the audio via their radios or portable radios. The movies will go on rain or shine, so it's always wise to check the weather before your visit. The drive-in theater is so family friendly that you can even bring your pets! Just make sure they're on a leash when outside the vehicle.
You're allowed to bring your own food and drinks to the theater, but Tibbs also has a full concession stand complete with funnel cakes. If you're in the mood for a full meal you can pick up a pizza, chicken tenders, 1/4-pound hamburger or cheeseburger, corn dog, hot dog, grilled chicken sandwich or classic pork tenderloin sandwich. If you'd rather snack, you'll find nachos, popcorn, soft pretzels, seasoned fries, caramel apple slices, and warm chocolate chip cookies as well as traditional theater candy.
IMAX Theater at the Indiana State Museum
The Indiana State Museum proudly hosts an outstanding IMAX theater (650 West Washington St.) that shows first-run movies as well as educational films. This theater delivers the high-quality viewing and listening experience associated with IMAX theaters, including dual projection films with digital remastering to deliver the best possible version of the creation. An integrated sound system and careful speaker orientation ensures that there isn't a bad seat in the house.
This theater is an ideal destination when you want to combine an educational visit to one of the city's best museums with a laid-back evening of film going fun.
Living Room Theaters Indianapolis
At Living Room Theaters (745 E. 9th St. Suite 810), you're meant to have a comfortable experience that makes you feel perfectly at home. If you enjoy dinner and movie rolled into one, this is the place to go. You can eat at the on-site restaurant or enjoy your meal in the theater. Each seat comes with its own attached table for convenient dining.
The menu goes above and beyond traditional theater fare. You won't just get a Caesar salad, you'll get a Fall of the Romaine Empire served with a house-made dressing. Instead of a classic hamburger, look to the Hamburger Mountain with a grass-fed beef patty seasoned in a house spice blend and topped with smoked pepper aioli, tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickle. If you want something lighter, try snacking on a small plate with options like cheese, dried fruit, nuts, and sourdough, or hummus, veggies, and focaccia.
Did we include your favorite Indianapolis theater on our list? Contact our team at Tom Wood Nissan and let us know where you like to go best so we can keep our list updated with the most popular local options. We love knowing where to send our customers when they leave the lot.