Princeton Garden Theatre

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Princeton Garden Theatre

Established in 1920, the Garden is a non-profit, member-supported movie theater, specializing in art
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The Garden Theatre is located next door to the Bainbridge house (built in 1766), where the Princeton Historical Society is now located. It's named for the rose garden that once occupied the location. The Garden Theatre opened its doors on September 20, 1920, with a showing of “Civilian Clothes,” starring Thomas Meighan. The event also featured a live orchestra with palms and ferns arranged on the

stage. Originally built to accommodate Princeton University’s Triangle Club, the Garden took on a new life as a cinema when Triangle moved to McCarter Theatre in the late '20s. The Garden changed hands several times in the next few decades. In 1937, the Garden Theatre had its first movie theater competition of the Princeton Playhouse, with a seating capacity of 1,200 (twice the Garden's). The Princeton Playhouse was located only a few blocks away on Palmer Square. Unlike the Playhouse, the Garden specialized in showing foreign films. Sameric Corporation ran the theater from 1975 through 1988, turning the facility into the twin-screen Eric Garden Theatre in 1981. The theater had been dark since October 1992 when United Artists, which had been running the theater since 1988, decided it was no longer financially viable. The Theater Management Corporation, which operates neighborhood theaters throughout the Northeast, began leasing and managing the Garden in 1993, after it was purchased by Princeton University. In 2014, Renew Theaters took over management of the theater; the Pennsylvania-based non-profit also oversees three other historic arthouse cinemas. Sources
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10204
http://www.mocavo.com/Town-Topics-Princeton-Aug-9-200-Volume-Liv/461827/1
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/00/q3/0803-gardenth.htm
https://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/01/q2/0531-garden.htm

09/01/2026

We have partnered with our friends from The Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project at Princeton University to bring this enlightening doc examining systematic racism to the big screen on September 17th. A representative from the IARA will be on site to provide an introduction to the film. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 princetongardentheatre.org/specials

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: From South African filmmaker Tara Moore comes a powerful examination of inheritance and accountability—with an unlikely protagonist: the grandson of the ‘Architect of Apartheid,’ whose reckoning with his ancestral legacy illuminates universal truths on inequality and privilege. Included on the 2025 Oscar long list for Best Documentary Feature.

08/31/2026

Our Reel Rebels Series continues on September 10th with THE GREAT ESCAPE! Grab your tickets now at princetongardentheatre.org/specials

This epic WWII adventure-thriller centers on an audacious plan by Allied prisoners of war to stage a massive breakout from an “escape proof” German prison camp. With a fantastic ensemble cast led by Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough and Charles Bronson, THE GREAT ESCAPE is an iconic Hollywood representation of camaraderie, resilience and defiance in the face of oppression.

08/30/2026

The Garden is going global! Join us for the second edition of this annual weekend-long film festival which will feature some of the best classic films from around the world. Running Friday, Oct. 9th thru Sunday, Oct. 11th, we will be featuring works from nine different countries. Showcasing beloved foreign classics like Godard’s WEEKEND, Ozu’s GOOD MORNING, and Murnau’s FAUST, as well as rarely screened gems like the Finnish melodrama RESTLESS BLOOD or the Senegalese road movie TOUKI BOUKI. 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 at princetongardentheatre.org

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒏-𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏.
Princeton Federal Credit Union

08/29/2026

On September 30th we’re partnering with our friends from Princeton University Art Museum to bring the 1993 classic THE JOY LUCK CLUB to our big screen. Rachael Z. DeLue, director of the Princeton Humanities Initiative will join us in-person to introduce the movie. This screening is a part of the Art Museum and Humanities Initiative’s Re-visioning America Film Series. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 princetongardentheatre.org/specials

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: Based on Amy Tan’s bestselling novel, THE JOY LUCK CLUB follows four Chinese American women and their immigrant mothers as they navigate love, identity and generational conflict. Through interconnected stories spanning decades and continents, the film reveals how cultural expectations and personal sacrifices shape their relationships. Only the second film since 1961’s Flower Drum Song to feature a majority Asian cast telling an Asian American story, THE JOY LUCK CLUB is a poignant exploration of heritage and family bonds. In English, Mandarin and Cantonese w/ subtitles.

08/28/2026

Our Reel Rebels Series continues on Sunday September 20th at 1pm with the 1994 doc WILDWOOD, NJ! 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 princetongardentheatre.org/specials

Director Ruth Leitman Ruth Leitman will join us via Zoom after the screening for a live Q&A about the film

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: Shot on Super 8 film by an all-female crew, this documentary follows young women in Wildwood, New Jersey, over the course of the summer of ‘93. From go-go dancers to boardwalk haunted-house vampires, the film captures the lives of working-class teens and young women in their own words. Addressing topics including abortion, safe s*x, body image, and economic hardship, WILDWOOD, NJ offers a raw and unfiltered portrait of youth, labor, and independence.

This screening will also include “Girls at the Carnival,” about Midwestern teen life in the 1990s. This 23-minute short film will be shown before WILDWOOD, NJ.

08/28/2026

Our Cinema Studies courses will return on September 23rd with a great pick selected and presented by Princeton University Creative Writing Professor Aleksander Hemon -CITY OF GOD. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺? Register for our Cinema Studies Course. Registrants will receive exclusive access to a pre-film lecture (starting at 6:30pm) and post film discussion led by Princeton Professor Aleksander Hemon. Registration includes a ticket to the film and a voucher for a popcorn and drink. Register now at
princetongardentheatre.org/cinemastudies

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? That is great too! Get your ticket to just the movie portion of the night at 7:15pm at princetongardentheatre.org/specials

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲: Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer. A sobering look at life inside a very dangerous part of a sometimes magical city, CITY OF GOD brought global attention to the realities of poverty, violence and social inequality in Brazil through its innovative storytelling, energetic filmmaking and powerful portrayal of life in Rio’s favelas. In Portuguese w/ subtitles.

08/27/2026

Our TWIN PEAKS SEASON 1 rewatch comes to an end this Friday Aug 28th. We’ll be watching S1 Ep 6 & 7 of David Lynch’s iconic series. Tickets are available now at princetongardentheatre.org/specials

Realization Time: Audrey cons her way into working at the perfume counter where Laura worked and discovers that it’s being used as a recruitment post for One Eyed Jack’s. James, Donna and Maddy plan to lure Jacoby away from his office. Runtime 46 min.

The Last Evening: Audrey is hired at One Eyed Jack’s, but is caught in a trap when her father arrives. Cooper gets Jacques Renault to reveal the details of Laura’s last night in the cabin. Featuring a shocking finale that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Runtime 46 min.

08/26/2026

On September 24th we’re showing David Lynch’s DUNE on the big screen! Tickets are available now at princetongardentheatre.org/specials

Long before Denis Villeneuve brought Frank Herbert’s landmark novel to the screen, visionary filmmaker David Lynch took on the challenge of adapting the sprawling sci-fi epic. Kyle MacLachlan (in his film debut) stars as Paul Atreides, a young nobleman destined to fulfill an ancient prophecy as he becomes embroiled in a galactic struggle for control of Arrakis, the desert world that produces the universe’s most valuable resource: spice. Though a box-office disappointment upon its initial release, DUNE has since been reassessed as a bold and singular work of science fiction, celebrated for its striking visual imagination, ambitious world-building, and unmistakably Lynchian style.

08/26/2026

THE MARCHING BAND starts on screen at our nonprofit theater this weekend. Showtimes & tickets will be available soon at princetongardentheatre.org

A celebrated orchestra conductor’s meticulously ordered world is quietly unsettled when he discovers a brother he never knew existed: a school cafeteria worker whose life revolves around a local marching band. As their unlikely relationship unfolds, music becomes both a bridge and a reckoning with their past. Balancing humor with emotion, this Cannes-premiering French drama is a moving meditation on talent, identity, and the lives shaped by circumstance. In French w/ subtitles.
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160 Nassau Street
Princeton, NJ
08542

Telephone

+16092791999

Website

http://princetongardentheatre.org/

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