The town of Hilo has a rich history with amazing stories and buildings. One of the highlights of a recent visit was visiting the Palace Theater. The lobby is open and welcoming with a cafe, exhibits, and advertisements for events and shows. The staff here were also welcoming, inviting us to come in and explore. We walked around the theater proper, enjoyed the art, and went to the basement. Even if you aren't coming for a show, I recommend visiting on a walk around town. There are also great restaurants, markets, and stores nearby. read more

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The seats are too close to the row in front. I'm not tall, but I found the seats to be very uncomfortable.

This is a local treasure -- one I've been to many times as an audience member, as well as performing in the 2024 production of "Caesar." It's a grand, old 1920s movie palace, now run as a nonprofit with a mixture of new and classic films, concerts and stage productions. From time to time they do a Silent Movie Night, with a live organist providing the music -- most recently showing the original Dracula movie, "Nosferatu." They're constantly in need of fundraising to maintain and improve the place, so please help! The Palace is truly one of the best things about living in Hilo, so come see a show, make a donation, and help keep it around for generations to come. read more

a special experience. there's nothing like going to an old school theater. well maintained and clean. unique and thoughtful selection of movies. reasonable prices. kind staff. i highly recommend read more

Quaint little theater that shows independent films. It is historic and has original seating, and other original interior features. It was raining outside and we wanted to find some place to spend a couple of hours inside doing something chill. They were showing an independent film which looked interesting, so we decided to see it. The lady at the box office was nice and answered our questions about the location and history. Inside, the sound quality was great and the surroundings took me back in time. We loved the experience and wished there were more locations like this one. read more

The Beatle cover band. July 28. Well produced, tite 60's and 70's music. Much more than just the Beatles. A fun evening in the old Palace. Rock on. read more

Lovely, small town theatre, a bit of nostalgia is alive. Air conditioning is lacking to modernized lifestyles so bring your lady fans out with you. The stairs are steep with no real places to grip during your climb and descent, so if you need help... wait for an available usher for assistance. Enjoy the venue for what it is: a step back in time. Get out to the Palace and support the arts. read more

very very cool old theater saved from demolition and being restored and run by some very very cool people I may not be cool myself but I recognize it when I see it ! interesting variety of concerts, live shows, and movies Hawaiiana Live show Wednesdays at 11 am, $5 adults, kids free, is a MUST when visiting Hilo... it's not fancy, but it's "Hilo" and it's sincere. recently restored theater organ minus one star only because it's still a little musty. read more

The historic Palace Theater in downtown Hilo is a "must visit" when on the Big Island. Not only is this place a historical landmark, but where else in Hilo can you find good independent films? During our recent visit to Hilo, I stopped by twice to see some interesting movies: "Big Man Japan" and "Departures." I know Yelp isn't a movie review site, but I thought "Departures" was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Anyway, the Palace Theater is a true theater. You can watch shows or movies here. How great is that? The building itself is beautiful to look at. Like much of downtown Hilo, this place just has a classic feel to it that you won't find in other theaters. The interior has some great artwork and vintage movie theater equipment. I wish I had more time on my trip to photograph it all. If you're ever in Hilo and want to catch a non-mainstream film, the Palace is the theater for you. read more

Movie theatres dating back to 1924 that have never been remodeled or turned into a Twin theatres are a TRUE GEM. I really hope that people support this special theatre. It has an amazing historic energy that is hard to come by. The manager and staff are very nice too. Plan on seeing a show here when you come to Hilo. read more

I've come to this theater 3 times in the last 3 weeks because I think it's a true gem of Hilo. It has the best independent (and offbeat) films around and on Wednesdays, I believe, they have a 45 min presentation of both the history and the music of Hawaii which is a nice introduction to the town of Hilo (starts at 11:00am). It is super inexpensive, and is a very historic icon of downtown. read more

Palace Theater - Cinema Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo's biggest treasure, love this old fashioned movie + live event venue. It's been lovingly restored but keeps it's historic presence, so entering is like going back in time. Interesting + unique programming, friendly staff, affordable snack bar. read more

Shatangi sow Booty Call here. My friends were feeing eachother up during the movie and I was oblivious. My fav Hilo friends snuck me in here all the time. Mahalo for the popcorn too!! Shatangi told you read more

The Palace Theatre staff especially Ms. Robin Worley, Executive Director has been phenomenal in our planning and assistance in our upcoming concert event of BEAT-LELE an Ukulele Tribute to the Beatles and Kris Fuchigami on Saturday, November 10th at 6:00 pm. Tickets are available at the Palace Theatre box office and on Eventbrite.com. See you there! read more

HIFF was having a showing of Shangai on Saturday night (yes, the night of the tsunami warning) so a bunch of us went to watch. Movie started at 8 p.m. and at 9 p.m. we were evacuated due to the tsunami heading toward us. So, now on with the review of the famed Palace Theater. I remember coming here as a youngster with my aunty and cousin (in the 70's) to watch those scary Japanese Obake and Samurai kind of movies. Back then the movie goers could actually smoke inside while watching the shows. That is why when I walked in and inhaled the stale cigarette smoke odor memories flooded through me and I felt like I had walked into a time capsule! The seats are smaller than the surround sound mega plexes we are used to now, the decor was still reminiscent of the 60's and how about the prices at the concession bar. The selection at the snack bar is very small and limited. But, who cares when you pay $5 for a medium sized popcorn, add your own salt AND butter, they only sell canned sodas and bottled drinks. Popcorn and soda ran me something like $7! I thought she undercharged me. I had to do a double take. Nowhere else can you get admission and snacks for less than $15. Only in Hilo! read more

The Palace Theater is the only place I can think of in Hilo (or anywhere else on the island, for that matter!) where you can watch movies that aren't mainstream. They usually only play one or two movies every couple of weeks and it costs a couple dollars less to watch a movie here than most other theaters on the island, and for the most part it is well worth it to go there. I'm a big foreign film geek, so when I was living there it was the only place I had access to any newer films in this... genre, per se. I saw Garden State, The Motorcycle Diaries and Bad Education here. It's a pretty cool little place, too, because the theater itself is pretty old and has a very classical feel to it. The people who work there are really nice, they have a cute snack bar with some unique snacks and drinks (fresh, homemade Tahitian Limeade at times, as well as Hibiscus drinks, etc) and often times, before the movie starts someone will be on the stage playing the piano. Aside from movies, it also functions as a small performing arts venue. I have seen numerous great shows there, such as flamenco, small-scale theatrical productions, local rock bands and many more. read more

What a gorgeous old theater! Loved looking up at the ceiling. Seats were really big and comfortable. Saw a hip hop show here and there was a little room in the front to move around. I envy the locals who get to come here for films and other events. read more

Awesome little theater in Hilo! This little gem not only has AMAZING performers (just got back from seeing Suzanne Westenhoefer) but also has super cool films not shown anywhere else on the island! And old theaters always rock. read more

We had the pleasure of seeing Mary Poppins, on opening night. Amazing show and cast. Awsome old theater; hopefully they will raise the needed funds to have air conditioning installed. read more

Great little old Hilo theater. One of the original buildings in town. Beautiful architecture and all sorts of performances and movies played here. read more

This theater has history, personality and great events! A must see for locals and tourists alike!!!