The Orinda Theatre is more than just a place to watch movies — it’s a Lamorinda landmark. Built in 1941, this Art Deco gem has been showing films for over 80 years. The distinctive façade, with its vertical “ORINDA” sign, is one of the most recognizable images in the East Bay.
The Experience
This isn’t a sterile multiplex. The Orinda Theatre has character: Art Deco architecture, a real marquee, and the feeling that you’re part of something that’s been bringing the community together for generations.
What’s Playing
The theatre shows a mix of:
- First-run Hollywood releases
- Independent and art films
- Special events and classic film screenings
Local Lore
The Orinda Theatre opened on Christmas Day, 1941 — just weeks after Pearl Harbor. Through World War II and the decades since, it’s remained a community anchor. The Art Deco design was the work of Alexander Aimwell Cantin, who designed several California theaters in this era. Unlike most of his contemporaries, the Orinda Theatre survived the multiplex revolution, thanks in part to a passionate local community that has fought to preserve it as a working cinema rather than let it become a retail space.
2026 marks the theatre’s 85th anniversary — a remarkable run for any independent cinema, let alone one that’s maintained its original character. Keep an eye out for anniversary events and classic film screenings throughout the year.
Mid-June Through Early July 2026
Commencement week is wrapping up — Miramonte tonight (Friday, June 12), Campolindo tomorrow afternoon — and Theatre Square is in peak grad-weekend rhythm through the weekend of June 13. The theatre itself stays comparatively easy to walk into; the dinner reservations a block away are the bottleneck, not the movie. Sunsets are past 8:33pm through the solstice, which makes the marquee genuinely worth lingering for after the 8pm showing.
- Tonight (Fri, Jun 12) — Miramonte Commencement evening: Theatre Square dinner reservations are essentially gone for the 7:30–9:00pm window as Miramonte families walk down from the field for dinner (see our Friday field report). The 9:30 PM showings are unusually quiet tonight — most of the late-evening Theatre Square foot traffic is still at dinner. If you want a walk-up theatre night with no crowd, tonight’s late show is the move.
- Sat, Jun 13 — Campolindo Commencement afternoon: Campolindo’s ceremony lands midday, which pushes the post-ceremony surge into Theatre Square between 4:00 and 6:30 PM. Evening showings get a small bump but stay manageable. Sunday brunch crowds at the Square restaurants will be heavier than usual — many families staying through the weekend.
- Father’s Day weekend (Jun 19–21): The next surge point. Father’s Day Sunday is one of the four-or-five busiest matinee windows of the year at the Orinda — the take-Dad-to-a-movie tradition is real here. Reserve dinner by Wednesday, June 17 for the post-matinee 5:30–7:00 PM window.
- Summer-blockbuster rhythm (late June onward): Once Father’s Day passes, weeknight foot traffic in Theatre Square downshifts and the theatre settles into its summer pattern — first-run blockbusters mid-week, repertory and indie picks on weekends. Tuesday & Wednesday evenings are the quietest walk-up window all summer; the garage almost always has space and the box office line is short.
- Pair with dinner first: Standing recommendation through summer — dinner at Shelby’s, Casa Orinda, or Fourth Bore Tap Room before an 8:00–8:30pm showing. Reserve dinner by Wednesday for prime weekend slots; the theatre is rarely the rate-limiting step.
- Walk over from Orinda BART: Theatre Square is a four-minute walk from the Orinda BART station. The summer-evening BART-to-Orinda trip from San Francisco or Berkeley for a dinner-and-a-movie date is one of the great underused dates in the East Bay — no parking, no Caldecott, just the Camino Pablo escalator and a walk under the marquee.
85th Anniversary Note: 2026 marks the Orinda Theatre’s 85th year — opened Christmas Day 1941, the theatre has been running for 85 continuous years through this calendar. Watch the schedule for anniversary classic-film screenings; the late-spring and early-summer programming windows have historically been where independents like the Orinda slot in their best repertory picks. The California Independent Film Festival (CAIFF), which has long called the Orinda Theatre home, is the centerpiece annual event — check theorindatheatre.com for current dates and lineup.
Pre- or Post-Show Nearby
Theatre Square is a self-contained block — once you park (free garage, validated), nearly everything you want is within a two-minute walk.
- Shelby’s — California-comfort dinner, the longstanding pre-show pick. Reserve by Wednesday for weekend showings.
- Casa Orinda — The classic. On the block since 1932, family-run, the closest thing Orinda has to an institution at the dinner table. Pre-show only — they close before late showings let out.
- Fourth Bore Tap Room — Better as a post-show stop; craft beer, snug interior, the right scale for two-people-debating-the-movie energy.
- Comelones Tacos (Suite 142) — Jalisco-style tacos and burritos. Halal and veggie options. Open daily until 8:30 PM. The quick before-the-7:30-show move when dinner reservations didn’t pan out.
- Petra Cafe (Suite 105) — Greek-Mediterranean wraps, falafel, gyros. Open daily until 8:00 PM, Fri until 8:30 PM. The other quick-dinner option, two doors down.
- Loard’s Ice Cream & Candies — Across Brookwood Road. Hand-dipped scoops, 43 flavors, 70+ years on the block. Open until 10 PM Fri & Sat — the classic post-late-show stop with the kids.
Good to Know
- Parking is free in the Theatre Square garage (validated)
- The marquee at night is worth seeing — peak photo op
- Smaller screens than modern multiplexes, but the character is worth it
- Check showtimes online — this is a neighborhood theatre, not a 24-hour operation
- One of the few remaining single-screen-feeling experiences in the Bay Area
Explore More in Lamorinda
- Orinda Guide — Full overview of the town this sits in
- All Things to Do — More Lamorinda outings, parks, and venues
- Real Estate in Lamorinda — Buying or selling in Lafayette, Moraga, or Orinda