Very cool cinema with a huge theater. It feels like going back in time and I hope that never changes!

I should've tried coming here soon after I moved to Ballard! I live like five minutes from here and I've been missing out for so long. Similar to the Varsity Theater in University District, Majestic Bay Theatres also offer $6 movies all day on Tuesday. Varsity offers that every day, but the Majestic Bay is eons cleaner, has nicer movie screen and sound, and the seat more comfortable than Varsity and I thought it was worth every penny. I went to go watch Mean Girls at 4 pm yesterday. Seems like everybody knows about the Tuesday deal so the 7 pm show was sold out, but there were plenty of seats left for the 4 pm show for obvious reasons. It looks like they only show three movies at a time, and I don't know how often they get new movies, but I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the Tuesday deal more often. Also one thing to note for myself mostly - aisle C was a bit too close to the screen so I recommend sitting around aisle E. read more

Majestic Bay is a nice return to that neighborhood feeling theater in a world of AMC's and Regal Cinemas. That's exactly what it is. A neighborhood theater. Olde and small, sporting only 3 theaters. It makes it more simple, intimate and stylish. The admissions window has a center position, again calling back to years gone by. A unique twist is card is only accepted, no cash whereas it is too often the other way around. This hurts MJT though as this is "service fees" hit you, especially ordering online. Still though, Theaters are looking to survive and make a comeback. I like the style here, with unique decor and a great choice using movie posters of long-ago classic movies like Gone with the Wind. It's colorful unlike most major movie theaters that have a lot of black and hard flooring. The concessions are also small and simple. All theaters are on the third floor with a small additional lobby with a nice view of the street. Bathrooms are on the second floor along with a little more decor. I could see parking being tricky to come here but it is perfect for the neighborhood and really give the area character. read more

See all

Great selection of films and most importantly, the best deal in town on a Tuesday: $6 movie night. This is a gift to those who don't have to work on Tuesdays. It's also a gift to anyone who loves movies but can't stand the highway robbery we have to put up with just to get inside the building. Speaking of, super cool and clean venue that feels both modern and historic. The staff is alway friendly and helpful. Also, the cleanest bathrooms in any movie theater on planet earth. Hard to believe we got this gem all to ourselves over here in Ballard. read more

If you want a vintage movie experience this is the place! Kinda odd how they don't have showtimes past 6:45 but whatever, this is still my favorite movie spot in town read more

Cute theater, we came to watch the Barbie movie. It's a reasonably large theater with very fun entry that feels much more like a stage theater than movie theater. I'd say it fails a bit because the concessions line was really quite in the way of entering the building and doing anything orderly, made for quite the chaotic entrance and exit. Still, overall nice theater to watch the movie in. Popcorn was tasty and they even let someone in our group with the large refill size get a refill on the way out! read more

Over the years, overall, I have had great experiences at this theater. I'd even go so far as saying that I love it. I'm just so bummed about tonight. Been looking forward to watching The Boy and the Heron for so long and tonight was the night. But. Turns out it's a quiet movie, and the settings at the theater seemed to be set for a Marvel blow-up-the-universe flick. It was soooo quiet you heard every breath of every person in the audience louder than the movie. I went out and pointed it out. They opened the door, listened, said "yes, it's very quiet", thanked me and offered me a hot dog, which I had (thank you), then I went in and waited for 10 min but no change. People in the audience were being great trying to be as quiet as possible, but you can only be so quiet if you're alive and have some popcorn. And the theater should definitely crank up the sound above that. So left since it's clearly a great movie and deserves a better first experience than that. I look forward to watching it again somewhere else. read more

This is a wonderful historic independent theater! I got see Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with my wife and two of her friends. It is also great that all the movies come with closed captions as I am hearing impaired. read more

Been a number of years since we last walked down to see a film here. Updated seats are nice. The main disappointment was the lack of AC in the theater, on a very warm night. Stuffy and uncomfortable, which detracted from the experience. read more

Beautiful ambiance with specially designed glass art in the lobby and bathroom. Restored historic theater now a cinema. Arrive early to find paid parking or take one of the many buses serving downtown Ballard. Bike friendly neighborhood. Once parked this is a very pedestrian friendly neighborhood. This historic theater is in the middle of the historic Ballard neighborhood. read more

The Majestic is clean, cool and comfortable. All you'd want in a summer theatre. Only drawback is parking can be extremely difficult, read more

Easy 1/5 experience. I placed an order online to see Oppenheimer. My card got charged, but on the redirect back to Majestic Bay's site from the payment provider, something got hung up and it errored out. I wrote to support via Majestic Bay's site informing them of the situation, thinking it would quickly get resolved. These sorts of things happen all the time, especially with smaller businesses that get less payment traffic. Usually all it takes is one quick trip to the payment gateway to see the transaction in question and resolve the situation. I got a response from the manager Natali, who simply informed me that there were no tickets under my name and that she could not help me further. No offer to look into it further, absolutely zero effort to make the situation better. It's funny because the tickets were very affordable and I've lost money on worse things, but I still feel so robbed here. It's the recklessness of offering an online payment system that doesn't work in 2023 (hint: don't have one if it doesn't work, make people come directly the the theater), and also having zero process in place for solving payment issues when they come up with a broken payment flow. It goes without saying, but there's plenty of other theaters in Seattle and I'm taking my business elsewhere. It's a shame because I've lived here in Ballard for almost 10 years now and I've been to Majestic Bay so many times. I always want to support small, local companies. But this is just so agregious and such a simple problem for them to solve. I can't support a business that does this to its customers. read more

I visited the rebuilt Majestic theater and found the seats reclined back too far and were very uncomfortable. Also, and there was almost no legroom. I am not that tall - about 5' 6'' and had no room for my legs. I won't be back. read more

Love this little theater! $6 tickets on Tuesday which is the only day I will go see a movie. They have popcorn and drinks, candy, and a small selection of food. Book online & choose your seats, but it is likely that your theater will be almost empty (at least for now on weekdays!). read more

I'm really disappointed to write a negative review as this is my go-to cinema, right in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, they do not honor the coupons they email us, unless we print them out. Aside from the fact that this is very eco-friendly, nowhere on the coupon does it say that it must be presented on paper. Oh well read more

Majestic Bay Theatres - Cinema Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Love this little theater in the neighborhood, even better with the upgrades to seating and being able to book tickets online. Parking can be tricky, especially on Sundays during the outdoor market. But, if you're looking for an easy spot to watch a movie, this is the place. read more

A local theater is hard to find, in this time of mega-plexes; but a few awesome ones survive. This is one of them awesome ones. I grew up here in Seattle, and Cinerama, Egyptian, the Guild, were all names of places that conjured yup visualizations of popcorn, soda and a movie. The Majestic should be on that list, if you are keeping track, it was the location of the Bay Theatre up until 1998, when it was torn down, and this new theater was installed in 2000. I remember walking by when I was younger, and wondering what kind of awesomeness was going to be there. it's 2015, and to assurance, it's still the great local theater that my parents took me when I was younger, and still a great place to watch a movie. It's seating is purpose built for comfort, and viewing angles. It's slope in the back helps anchors the bowl like shape, giving everyone in the room, a great view. The seats are soft, and plush enough to help you survive any showing of Lord of the Rings, or what I saw, which was "The Martian". What makes this theater great, is the proximity to all the local eats, and a great neighborhood to back it up. If you want to make it a nice date night out, then this should be one of your top options. read more

Moved here in 2009 and have loved this theatre since day one. Popcorn is good, staff is consistently nice and efficient for the 12 years I have been going. They replaced all the chairs and went to a reserved seating system. And buying tickets online is a breeze. So so so glad they survived 2020 and are still alive and well. read more

This is a good theater. Pretty and old-timey on the outside, updated (including stadium seating) on the inside. No annoying "first look" previews of disney shows, just some quiet elevator music. Sound was great, picture was great. Tickets are cheaper here than the big chain movie theaters, too. My one gripe? Popcorn tastes a little weird-- kind of sweet? I didn't hate it but I didn't love it, either. Lots of great stuff to do around the block before your movie, too. read more

There is something very inviting and nostalgic about this neighborhood Ballard theater. It might be the marquee, that reminds me of an old time-y theater you'd see in a 50's monster movie. It might be the front window that houses one solitary ticket seller, not an endless row of ticket zombies, multiplex-style. It might be the shape, tall and skinny on 3 levels, not spread out like a space-gobbling strip mall that ate a city. All of these things make me adore the Majestic Bay, but the hands-down, do-a-jig best thing about the MB is NO COMMERCIALS before the previews. It feels like a true movie experience, not a brain-numbing attempt to sell you soda, cell phones or cars. Sure, parking is a bitch, but parking in Ballard is always that way. Park four blocks away and you will probably find something free in the residential part of the neighborhood. Buy some candy at Bartell's around the corner and enjoy yourself a fine cinematic happening. read more

Let's face it, going to the movies is expensive. If you're going to do it, you may as well go to a beautiful theater and capture an experience while you're at it. Honestly, being from a small town, Majestic Bay reminds me of being a kid again. Growing up, there was only one theater in town. If you wanted another, the next closest was 15 miles away and they pretty much showed the same movie (just one a week). The next closest theater was 50 miles away. With Majestic Bay, you get a handful of movies. Don't worry, they show mainstream movies so you won't miss the latest Marvel action flick or Twilight Saga part whatever. It's a small theater but I like the less institutionalized feel to it. Many other reviews have pointed out specifics on the layout so I'll refrain from doing that. They have limited staff and definitely limited snacks but I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. For me, I think my dollars are best spent on Majestic Bay and I always go there unless I have some sort of money saving deal somewhere else. Also, in the last few years, Majestic Bay has had coupon specials as well and I always buy as many as they will let me. read more

Majestic Bay Theatres - Cinema Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Wonderful theater, clean and comfy seating. Great experience buying online. Parking can be difficult but worth it.

One of my favorite big, small movie theaters in Seattle. Imagine the feeling of an old style movie theater: First off and importantly, its NOT located in a mall! This is an old-school theater in a neighborhood with real character. Giant movie posters on the wall, in beautiful frames. Walkable to one of the best streets for nightlife in Seattle, Ballard Ave. Small independent vibe, but showing new release movies. With all the all the amenities of a new style movie theater: Completely rebuilt in 1998, This NOT a vintage theater. It just feels vintage.. (Read: no rock hard rickey seating, but instead, small scale stadium seating with large, comfy seats. Far more intimate theater size.) A selection of new release movies (i.e. more than one screen, which is unusual in an theater with this kind of old school character.) Clean theaters, and new everything, including a generous powder room! Umm. this place rocks! Its a totally redesigned movie theater with all the charm of an old theater. It has the amenities of a mega-plex, without the soullessness. Admission: You will have to pay to park, and usually in Seattle this separates the theaters we will attend, from those we will skip. However, the Metro is uniquely charming & has Ballard in its back pocket, so we make an exception here. There is a easy pay-for parking lot around the corner, behind the bank. P.S. Cupcake Royale is next door, and La Carta De Oaxaca, Billy Beach Sushi, and the Walrus and the Carpenter is around the corner. Now they have a slurpy good Lil' Woody's burger spot right next door. Score! read more

Dirty theater, popcorn old and stale, and rude customer service. Ugh. Won't spend another dollar at this place again. Stear clear of this dump. read more

This quaint little place is in Ballard.. a great neighborhood place to go for a movie. It's laid back and the people there are cool.. but they still maintain some of the old school charm; the ruffled curtain raises and lowers before/after the previews and feature presentation and it had a "David Lynch Theatre" feel to it. Catch a $9 show in the afternoon and hardly anyone will be there.. just keep in mind that you're likely to have an older crowd or a young mom crowd that brings their freaking baby to the show. Aggravating. They do tend to show some of the more relevant films, e.g., the big Hollywood films that everyone wants to see. Since there are only a couple screens and they probably would go under if not for taking the big Hollywood films, this makes sense. Though I do eternally wish this were more of an "art house" theatre. It has the look and feel and location to be one. But I suppose money wouldn't be made if that were the case. Still. Great place to see a recent box-office draw. read more

Majestic Bay is a classic neighborhood movie theatre in Ballard. This three screen cinema is arguably the most recognizable business on the main Market St stretch due to its signage. The theatre is dated, but it has aged gracefully. Some of the amenities here are on the small side when you compare them to your local cineplex. The box office is a very small (room for one) ticket booth in front. The concession stand is typical theatre fare. The theatre is three floors tall. Two of the screens are located on the third floor. Second floor is where the restrooms are. Cinema goers watching films on those screens will need to be ascend the stairs. While I did not see an elevator, there must be one somewhere for handicap access to the third floor screens. There were a few designated spaces in the back of the theatre. The movie I saw was in one of the third floor screens and I found the room to be quite small. There is also only one staircase on the right side meaning if you sit all the way to the left, you will need to either climb over seats to get to the back or ask people to move to get through. On the bright side, the seating is decent in that I did not have any issues with an obstructed view although there were people sitting in the row in front. The seats here are low, while screen seems to hang a bit high. As for the movie programming at Majestic, it seems to be family friendly. Children's fare often is shown here and it seems like R rated films playing here is rare or not very often. Movie fare is of the 2D sort. I don't think Majestic is equipped for 3D. If you like old timer movie houses with no frills, Majestic Bay is up your alley. Though if you are looking for the latest and greatest when it comes to movie watching, head to the cineplex instead. read more

I lived in Ballard for two years before I ever step foot inside Majestic Bay. And as much as I love to support local and small, the experience here wasn't stellar. For starters, not one but two of my primary movie choices were sold out on a weeknight! My friend and I ended up seeing a movie I had already seen (although his first) because we had already parked (what a nightmare it is in that area, too) and were committed. Once tickets were purchased, we had to wait in a long line out in the cold/rain until they would let us inside. The concession area inside is way too tiny to accommodate that many people. The room for our film was very large and spacious, which was nice. We didn't have a hard time finding seats. Because I'm old and crotchety, I just want comfort and convenience, even if this means I pay more. Next time I'll be relaxing at a larger theater with more film choices, more amenities, and bigger space. read more

A trip back into old movie house time, even though it was rebuild from the ground up a few years ago. It seems that we come here two or three times a month. It's clean, fun and near everything in downtown Ballard. They even let you bring in your Tully's coffee from next door. How can you beat that? Enjoy! read more

Before Majestic, I can't remember the last time I saw a movie in a slim building that had three intimate viewing theatres. I have no idea what the official capacity is, but it felt like we were in a huge private entertainment room in someone's mansion. It looked like the smaller theatre we were in had only about 80 seats in it. It's like being in a luxury suite at a ballgame, except your at a movie theatre! If you want details, they have various movie memorabilia on display along the walls. Signed movie posters, letters from the Governor, and an offer letter for a movie part signed by Sean Connery. If you're hitting the loo, check out the frosted glass door windows. Remodeled and reopened in 2000 and located in the heart of Ballard, it's a gem of a place to watch a movie. If you want an IMAX sized screen, you're not going to get it here, but if you want a place that feels like that big home theatre you always wanted, you've come to the right place. read more

The Majestic Bay theater is a local treasure in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle Washington. I forget the exact date that it was built, but I believe that it has been in service since the early 1920s. The theater was closed for many years during an extensive remodeling operation. It has since been reopened for many years now and it retains all of its old school charm along with all of the modern amenities that you would expect in a movie theater. I have seen some of the most memorable movies inside the Majestic Bay, classics like the Lord of the Rings, James Bond, and Star Wars series of films. It is an independent theater and I always prefer to support that kind of business over a corporate one. read more

Like you gotta love love love the charm of a small non giant chain neighborhood movie theater just in the heart of Ballard. Like it's got some super character to the building and such u know. I mean like it's small and all but u know they keep it clean I mean I guess there it isn't it like a 1000 seat room but still pretty clean. It kind of gives like this cozy yet I don't feel like sardines feel all crammed and stuff. The woman at the food part is super nice and u know I so like a welcoming staff where I go spend my time. It's like u know u go somewhere like they're not welcoming like just take my money and whatever but it's pretty cool like it's feels homie here. Plus it don't get like drafty like in some larger places do. read more

This is a pretty cool theater. It has a nice old-timey feel. They show three movies at once. I'm not sure if they have 2 or 3 screens though. They only open up the seating 30 minutes early. If you're wandering around Ballard and see a show that's a ways out, it's best to find something to do because you can't hang out in the theater. The screen we saw was in a nice theater. It had pretty steep seating and the best seats were definitely in the back. Concessions here are good. They don't serve chocolate popcorn (bummer) but they do have good butter popcorn. However, every time I go to a landmark theater the butter they can add to the top tastes sour or rancid. I just get popcorn without extra butter. They have candy (including some good frozen candy as well). read more

Majestic Bay Theatres - A majestic theater indeed. - Cinema Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great old cinema that had been converted to a "mini multiplex". It now has 3 screens. The bones are good though, and when you walk up the stairs you sense the grandeur that it must have had years ago. Good popcorn! read more

30 minutes into the movie it died. Everyone in the audience sat and waited patiently. No one ever came out to explain the situation. Someone finally went to ask what was going on and they were told "it's rebooting should be back in a few minutes". 35 minutes later and still no explanation. I attempted to get a refund. Cashier girl says "this has been happening a lot since we reopened" as she's handing me a free movie pass in lieu of a refund cause she "doesn't know how to do a refund". Are you f***ing kidding me? Close your business, you're completely and unapologetically ripping people off. read more

Old school theater reminds me of dollar movies in Phoenix Without the sticky floor Reasonably priced if you like that old school feel Definite place to come that's what they're going for even their intro for the movie looks like something from the fifties read more

The Majestic has a small number of theatres but the movies are always being updated which is great. They have surround sound in their theatres and seats are pretty comfortable. We ordered a medium popcorn which was disappointing because it was all crumbs and no flavor. Overall a decent movie experience but wish the snack selection was a little better. read more

Majestic Bay Theatres - Cinema Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love this local neighborhood movie theater! It's got a real old-school feel to it, and I absolutely love the opportunity to support a fantastic local business. This is where I always come for my movies! The concessions are on par with prices at any other movie theater, which is fine. Gotta have my junior mints! The theaters are always very clean and the staff always very friendly. I love the layout of this place, too. Very space efficient! Highly recommend supporting this place whenever you want to see a movie! read more

This is a great neighborhood movie theater with a mix of mainstream hits and independent films on tap. It is located in the hip Ballard downtown with plenty of dining and nightlife options for before or after the show. The staff are generally friendly and the facilities kept clean. The main hall is a decent size with stadium seating and a good sound system. Tickets are $13 for adults with a matinee discount. Parking is often tricky, with a combination of (usually paid) street parking and private lots. They do not accept AMEX or Discover. read more

Always enjoyed small cozy neighborhood theaters over the big over crowded mall ones. I'm happy this one is here. I wonder how it's able to stay competitive to stay open. If I lived in the neighborhood I'd be here more often. Inside the popcorn smells great just as you open to your right. Maybe it's a strategy as people walk in to buy something but it be working. We was like drawn to the smell. The tiny brunette behind counter for an afternoon show was so nice. As for the quality. Sound A- surprisingly good for a small house. Food B- movie theater food ain't gourmet but not bad at all. Appearance B+, doesn't look fancy outside very old school feel and inside is not spectacular like you ain't hosting premier parties here but the lil flaws SF character. read more

Sat 2/15 at 3.30pm. Walked up to window to asked what was playing, younger kid behind window wouldn't even open the window, pointed at his phone... like we should already have booked tickets on line... then waved us around & didn't even give either of us chance to say one word... asked if we had booked tickets on phone neither one of us had... then rolled his eyes rudely as we said no and said "ok 2 for 1917"... as he looked other way at his computer screen... the one movie playing we have both seen already. We both looked at each other in amazement & turned around and left. We won't ever be back. Seriously hire some folks who understand customer service & are not so rude. Lol read more