Chicagoans are obviously very fond of the legendary Music Box Theatre in Lakeview, especially after the renovations that transformed the space last summer, and now the world as a whole is privy to the beauty of the movie theater that we call ours.
Just in time for this weekend's Academy Awards, Time Out has updated its list of the most beautiful cinemas in the world. Out of just seven U.S.-based entries, the Music Box Theatre in Chicago is proudly included at No. 26.
"It’s not as cavernous or opulent as the former movie palaces in downtown Chicago, but the Music Box is still evokes an era when seeing a film was as much about the experience as the images up on the screen," reads the guide. "Operating since 1929, the theatre’s main auditorium boasts Italian and Spanish architectural touches, as well as a magical ceiling dotted with twinkling lights and projected clouds that move across it."
The recent updates have made the space even better. From seat replacements in the main auditorium to accessibility upgrades and a slew of repairs, the movie house now truly feels like a work of art and the perfect place to catch a flick if you feel like indulging your inner cinephile at a theater instead of streaming a film from the comfort of your own couch.
After all, who can deny the magic involved in seeing a movie at the theater? It will always be one of our favorites things to do in Chicago.
The 50 most beautiful movie theaters in the world
1. Le Grand Rex, Paris
2. Pathé Tuschinski, Amsterdam
3. Village East Cinema, New York
4. Cineteca Madrid, Madrid
5. The Electric, London
6. Cinema Dei Piccoli, Rome
7. The Astor, Melbourne
8. Puskin Art Cinema, Budapest
9. Cine Doré Filmoteca Española, Madrid
10. Le Champo, Paris
11. The Raj Mandir, Jaipur
12. The Labia Theatre, Cape Town
13. Rio Cinema, London
14. Stella Cinema, Dublin
15. TCL Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles
16. The Little Prince Micro-Cinema, Ontario
17. Cineteca Nacional de Mexico, Mexico City
18. New Beverly Cinema, Los Angeles
19. The Park Theatre, Manitoba
20. Stadtkino, Vienna
21. Sala Equis, Madrid
22. Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace, Sydney
23. Orinda Theatre, California
24. Mareel, Shetland Islands
25. Studio 28, Paris
26. Music Box Theatre, Chicago
27. Cinema Le Cosmos, Strasbourg
28. Coolidge Corner Theatre, Massachusetts
29. Metrograph, New York City
30. Le Colisée, Carcassonne
31. Phenomena Experience, Barcelona
32. BFI Southbank, London
33. Plaza Theatre, Atlanta
34. Avalon Theater, California
35. Egyptian Theatre, Los Angeles
36. Golden Age Cinema and Bar, Sydney
37. Le Cinéma du Panthéon, Paris
38. Museum Lichtspiele, Munich
39. Genesis Cinema, London
40. Grand Teatret, Copenhagen
41. The Sun Theatre, Melbourne
42. Paris Theater, New York
43. Everyman, Bath
44. Curzon Bloomsbury, London
45. The Projector, Singapore
46. Cinémathèque de Tanger, Tangier
47. Busan Cinema Center, Busan
48. Cinema São Jorge, Lisbon
49. Broadway Cinematheque, Hong Kong
50. Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland