Visitor Guide Spring/Summer 2020 Visitor Guide | Seite 20

Escape the summer heat at one
of Baltimore’s classic movie theaters.
The Big Chill
In the dead heat of summer, there’s nothing better than stepping into the cool darkness of a theater and catching a flick.
Whether you’re a cinephile, interested in historic architecture, or just in the mood for a cool escape, Baltimore has a
host of interesting historic theaters to check out. Here are the can’t-miss spots to while away the afternoon heat.
ITINERARIES
The Parkway
1
Built in 1915, Station North’s Stavros Niarchos
2
Foundation Parkway Theatre (5 W. North Ave.)
was restored a few years ago in an $18-million
renovation that preserved the Italianate architecture—leaving
the original moulding, tile floors, ornate stage frame and
curving balcony intact—while updating the technology
and facilities for today’s audiences. Two smaller 85-seat
theaters join a new bar and cafe selling locally sourced beer
and snacks, plus a schedule of modern programming that
showcases a diverse selection of independent, international,
documentary, classic and cult-favorite films.
The Charles
Two blocks north of Penn Station, the Charles
Theater (1711 N. Charles St.) offers first-run
specialty films, plus foreign and classic cinema,
all in a historic building that began showing movies in 1939.
The theater has a rich history, including roots as a streetcar
barn, a reincarnation as a dance hall, and later, as one of the
first venues to screen early works by Baltimore native John
Waters. As a nod to the lengthy history, the Charles screens
a special series of repertory films each week, presented on
35mm prints and DCP in the original 362-seat theatre.
18 BALTIMORE.ORG