How Much Does it Cost to Rent a Movie Theater for a Birthday Party?

Planning your next birthday and wondering: how much does it cost to rent a movie theater for a birthday party? At Peerspace, we get it. Few birthday party ideas are more universally appealing and exciting than a movie screening.

You may love the idea but not of hosting a movie-watching birthday party at your home due to space and equipment issues. However, you may also be concerned about the cost of renting a movie theater.

But in fact, you’ll be happy to know there are many tiers of cost for renting a movie theater. We’ll also show you how to go about renting a private movie theater for your birthday (or really, any day!) through Peerspace. As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, you can rest knowing that Peerspace has really cool movie theater venues in cities across the country and beyond.

And just to help you out a bit more with the process, we’ll talk about the reasons you’d want to rent out a movie theater and detail the process of doing so. By the end of this article, you’ll have all the essential information required to locate and rent the venue for your movie theater birthday party!

Why should you rent a movie theater for a birthday party?

First of all, why bother renting a movie theater for your birthday, to begin with? Let’s discuss the main reasons why renting a movie theater for your birthday or other event is ideal.

Versatility

Renting a movie theater is a wonderful option for hosting all types of events. Birthdays, baby showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and more can come to life at once.

Plus, corporate events can be held at a theater. From team-building gatherings to retreats, everyone in the office will want to play hooky in favor of movies at a theater!

Also, many corporations hold fundraising events at theaters. The same goes for indie filmmakers who want to debut their movie to a select group of friends and associates.

Space

While the size of a movie theater can vary, you can be sure it’s easy to rent one that’s larger than, say, your living room.

In fact, on Peerspace, you can book a movie theater with seating for a handful of people or for hundreds. It’s part of the reason why they’re such great options for personal and professional events.

Equipment

When you rent a movie theater, you’re dealing with the simple logistical reality that there’s no better place to watch movies than at a movie theater!

In fact, you don’t have to deal with renting the necessary and costly A/V equipment and bringing it to a more generic type of venue. Instead, you can simply show up and have all the stuff required to screen a film at your fingertips. 

That movie theater experience

Let’s not forget that movie theaters have their very own atmosphere. They not only provide a singular experience, but they also render decorating unnecessary. Renting a movie theater means benefiting from the kind of fun, classic atmosphere.

Everyone remembers trips to the local movie theater fondly from their childhoods. Movie theaters are often associated with nostalgia for happy memories, and you will make your party all the better by bringing back those happy emotions.

And, when you book a theater, you rent the entire venue. That means it’s just you and whoever you invite, ideal if you prefer a private event.

To recap, you can book a movie theater for:

• Birthday parties
• Baby or bridal showers
• Bachelor and bachelorette parties
• Corporate events, like team-building and retreat events
• Fundraisers
• Production film screenings
• And more!

Planning a party for the almost-adult in your life? Then be sure to also check out our 11 unforgettable 18th birthday party ideas!

How do you rent a movie theater?

In the olden days of the pre-internet era, renting your ideal movie theater would not have been so easy! You would have had to locate each theater individually and contact them to ask if they were available for rent. In all likelihood, many of those you reached out to would not be available.

Meantime, you’d waste a lot of time on the process of locating and contacting theaters. And even if you were very thorough, you’d still likely overlook some of the best options available in your area. 

Now, you might think that the internet and its search engines solve all your problems, but Google is still not the most convenient or straightforward method of locating movie theaters available for rent. Browsing through lots of theaters’ websites and trying to find rental information is faster than an analog search, but still not the absolute fastest and easiest.

Try Peerspace to rent a movie theater instead

The fastest and easiest option for renting a movie theater is Peerspace, the internet’s largest online marketplace for hourly event space rentals. Among their listings, you’ll find numerous movie theater rental options throughout the country. And not only are there tons of options, but it’s also amazingly easy to browse through them.

Searching Peerspace is a snap: simply enter your city, the kind of event you’re planning (in this case, “birthday party”), and optionally add the date of the event for even more specificity. 

And to narrow your search down to movie theaters specifically, click on the “More Filters” option, select “Theater” under the “Space Type” category, or enter “movie theater” in the keyword box.

You can also narrow things down by other filters, including the number of attendees, price per hour, and additional features (from bathtubs to exposed brick to elevators — most of these won’t be relevant in your search for a movie theater, however!)

Once you’ve done your search, you’ll be amazed by how detailed the listings are. They provide a clear sense of what the event spaces are like, so you don’t have to visit in advance. With plenty of high-quality photos of the space, an in-depth description, and reviews from past renters, each listing is a perfect overview of the venue. Renting is a breeze!

What affects the cost of a movie theater rental?

Although we can offer a pretty broad price range, the fact of the matter is that the cost of renting a movie theater is going to vary based on several factors.

Location

One of the elements that most strongly influence the cost of renting out a movie theater is the city where you’re seeking rentals.

Renting a theater will be significantly more expensive in costly cities like Los Angeles or New York City than in significantly more affordable cities like Memphis, TN, and Omaha, NE. And in individual cities, different neighborhoods have different costs of living that will influence the cost of renting within them. 

The theater itself

In addition, the scale of the movie theater itself makes an enormous difference. A small, simple theater will be much more affordable than a large-scale movie theater that seats many more people. Not to mention that a lavish theater with historical significance will also cost quite a bit more to rent.

Ahead, we’ll share specific Peerspace movie theater rentals and examine their prices.

Now that you’ve almost got the venue, check out these great movie birthday party ideas and start planning the event itself!

How much does it cost to rent a movie theater for a birthday party?

Even though theaters can vary so much in the rental price, we’ve got a rough estimate of how much it’ll cost you to rent a movie theater for a birthday party: $100 to $400 per hour. A search of the many listings on Peerspace shows that theaters cost more than $1,000 per hour to rent. Let’s explore the price range below.

On the higher end of the scale

One of the most expensive movie theaters that you can book for your birthday party is this rooftop movie theater with amazing views in El Segundo, CA. It’s a full-blown rooftop lounge complete with lawn games, seating for 200, a huge LED screen, and headsets to hear the movie. All of this, along with epic views, comes with the price tag of $1,750 per hour.

Similarly priced is this historic theater in the peninsula in Redwood City. It has a standing capacity of 1600 and seating for 1175, as well as a classic balcony for up to 400. The theater also has a full stage and a full-sized projection screen, with the host also offering catering services. All of this costs $1,700 per hour, which is understandable considering the size, history, and grandeur of this venue.

Mid-range prices

Also in the PNW, this Egyptian-themed theater in the heart of Seattle costs $432 per hour. Its auditorium seats 570 and boasts a 37′ x 17′ screen, Dolby surround sound, a digital projector, and theater lighting. You can also make use of the VIP lounge, the stocked concessions stand, and a staffed box office.

Also in the Los Angeles area, this upscale McMansion with a movie theater offers you access to a modern private theater. Renting the cozy, furnished private movie theater room and the rest of the home costs $300 per hour. And keep in mind this includes access to the heated pool, hot tub, balconies, and more.

There are more options in our standard price range like this independent movie theater in Brooklyn, NY at $275 per hour. It provides seating for 70, a 160″ screen, surround sound, and a 12′ stage. Peerspace reviewers have characterized it thusly: “The place rocked!!! The staff was great!!!”

There is also this state-of-the-art movie theater auditorium in San Francisco, CA costing $395 hourly. It seats 65 guests and is equipped with a cinema-grade projector, a Blu-ray player, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and an on-site technician to set up your movies.

On the lower end of the price scale

You may be happy to know that the price of renting a smaller, more affordable movie theater can be as low as $75 per hour, like this warm and spacious screening room in Braintree, MA. It’s an all-ages space that provides plush seating for 24, a large-screen projector TV, and tiered seating. The host also allows for outside catering, too.

This intimate 50-person screening room in Los Angeles is worthy of a look as well and only costs about $80 per hour. It has hundreds of five-star reviews from past Peerspace renters. Plus, the host offers a slew of fun booking add-ons, like popcorn machines and a spotlight!

You also can’t go wrong with this starlit luxury home movie theater in Sugar Hill. This one-of-a-kind space is ideal for parties of 15, has a 100-inch projection screen, and costs just $60 per hour. Thanks to its beautiful custom design, it also provides a truly epic movie-watching experience!

Let’s not forget about the senior in your life! Here are 8 special 70th birthday party ideas to celebrate in style and comfort.

How much does it cost to rent a movie theater for a birthday party? Conclusion

Hopefully, this guide has answered the titular question: How much does it cost to rent a movie theater for a birthday party?

As you can see, renting a movie theater for a birthday party can be financially accessible. And by using Peerspace, it can even be easy and enjoyable! Check out our site today to see what types of movie theaters we have available near you. You may just be surprised by the selection!

Also, keep an eye on our comprehensive events resources blog pages to stay up-to-date on birthday planning trends, tips, and hacks!

Find unique movie theaters on Peerspace