Movie Theaters in Raleigh, NC

Raleigh has a huge number of movie theaters in the city and the surrounding areas. Some are better than others and pricing varies. Overwhelmingly, Carmike Cinemas are the cinema of choice in this area, but there are other options that are just as good, depending on your preferences.

Regal Crossroads 20 is owned and operated Regal Entertainment Group and is located in Cary, North Carolina. Right off of the beltline, this is one of the easiest theaters to get into, although it can get quite busy on the weekends. It is located behind Crossroads Plaza, which is a sprawling and often difficult to navigate strip mall, but the theater is far enough away from the shopping to allow for easy in, easy out. Cost of tickets is $9.50 for the evening and $7.00 matinee for adults. Seniors and children are less expensive. The inside has worn quite a bit with age, but is still quite nice and open. There are a number of concession booths, which limits how long you will need to wait in line. Concessions are of the snack food variety (popcorn, nachos) and soft drinks are Coke products. Stadium seating exists in all of the 20 theaters, and the theaters are large enough for a good sized crowd but not so big that you lose the impact of the movie. Even the seats furthest back are fairly close. There are non-stadium seats at the bottom row for particularly crowded days or for children. Handicapped seating exists in the front of the stadium seats, but behind the non-stadium rows. As a movie theater, this is a pretty good option near Raleigh. Discounts are a bit hard to find, and navigating to the theater can be tricky the first time, but it's a popular location showing first run blockbusters. Movies that are expected to draw a larger crowd are shown in multiple theaters at overlapping times to cut down on crowds and provide flexibility. Tickets can be purchased online through Fandango.

Southpoint Theater is a little bit further out from Raleigh at Southpoint Mall in Durham. From I-40, take the second exit to Southpoint (exit 274) to come at the backside of Southpoint Mall to avoid the mall crowd. Parking can be absolutely atrocious on the weekends or on days when a big movie is out. Run by Stone Cinema, this is a large, nice theater that is still fairly new in appearance. Tickets are $9.50 or $6.75 matinee. Students receive a discount of $2 with valid ID, and seniors and children are always less expensive. Stadium seating and comfortable seats make this movie theater a cozy option that is convenient to shopping and food. The concession booth is fairly long with a number of registers selling soft drinks, water, nachos and popcorn, but can get pretty crowded as not every register is open at all times. The movie theater has recently begun to limit some of the teenage crowd by imposing a 9:30 curfew. There are video games to play in the main lobby, as well as a large television set to play previews.

Carmike Fifteen off of Atlantic Springs is perhaps one of the worst options in Raleigh. For convenience, it is located only a short drive off of Capital Blvd., which has a number of other activities. Food is located nearby in the form of several standalone restaurants. However, the theater itself is pretty run down. In the handful of times that I have been to this theater, I felt rather unsafe standing outside later at night to purchase tickets from the one ticket window. Concessions are pretty standard (soft drinks, popcorn, nachos). The seating is comfortable but several seats have rips and tears. Overall, although this theater wins for location if you're near Capital Blvd, it is not a theater to actively seek out. Carmike Fifteen plays blockbusters and first run movies.

Brier Creek is in Raleigh off of Highway 70 (Glenwood Avenue). This is the newest of the movie theaters that are reviewed here, and possibly the nicest. Although it is not as "upscale" as Crossroads and Southpoint in terms of decorating or amenities, this out of the way theater is a great place to catch that sold out blockbuster without having to sit in the aisles. Located next to the Target in Brier Creek, there are a number of restaurants in the area, if the concession stand snacks don't suit you. The prices are pretty consistent across Raleigh and surrounding areas, but Brier Creek allows you to sit a little bit more by yourself. Although many people have started to discover this theater, it's still a wonderful experience with high quality movies and stadium seating.

Finally, for those who like independent films, there are two main local options. The Galaxy Theater in Cary off of Walnut Street and the Rialto in Raleigh near Glenwood in Raleigh. Parking is far more abundant at the Galaxy, as the Rialto only offers parking on the street. Both show independent films. The quality of these two theaters is pretty questionable, but they keep their costs low in order to show truly out-of-the-ordinary films. You can purchase a discounted multipass membership for these theaters. Concession stands here are more limited than other theaters, but also offer alcoholic beverages. On Friday nights at midnight, the Rialto does a stellar rendition of Rocky Horror Picture Show.

These are just a few of the options for movie theaters in Raleigh, NC.