From Hollywood to across the Pacific Ocean, Los Angeles County teems with ornate moviegoing experiences

Cineastes love to remind us of the power of seeing a big movie in a big theater with an audience, and that experience doesn't get much better than at one of L.A.'s fabulous movie palaces. For architectural overload, take a seat at these icons.

The world's most famous movie palace opened with a Cecil B. DeMille epic in 1927. In recent years, the baroque landmark has gained stadium seating and one of the largest IMAX screens in the United States. It continues to show first-run films in the heart of Hollywood. 6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323-461-3331, tclchinesetheatres.com

If streaming is the biggest threat to the theatrical experience, how are we to feel about Netflix's glorious $70 million restoration of the birthplace of the Hollywood premiere? For about the cost of two episodes of Stranger Things, the streamer has a dazzling party palace that it lets the American Cinematheque use on weekends. 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 323- 306-4302, egyptiantheatre.com

Twenty-six miles across the sea (but still in L.A. County), this mammoth art deco auditorium on Catalina Island continues to unspool classics on weekends and offers guided VIP tours every day. Before designing this seaside amusement, architect Sumner Spaulding created Greenacres, the Beverly Hills mansion of silent movie star Harold Lloyd. 1 Casino Way, Avalon, 310-510-0179, theavalontheatre.com

Scroll to continue reading

Disney rescued this 99-year-old legitimate theater playhouse, first converted into a cinema during World War II, in the 1990s. The venue became its flagship, hosting gala premieres and offering glamorous extras like costume displays and live music at every performance. All that, and there's an ice cream parlor off the lobby. 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 818-845-3110, elcapitantheatre.com