The Paramount Theatre

World-class entertainment in an historic setting
Noteworthy for: One of the few places in Austin where dressy attire is the norm, the Paramount is the perfect place to take that special someone for a movie or play.

Talk of the town: Austin-based director Robert Rodriguez often holds red carpet movie premieres here, including 2011's 'Spy Kids 4'.
The grande dame of Austin's theaters began life in 1915 as a vaudeville house, hosting performers such as the Marx Brothers and Harry Houdini. The 3,040-seat Paramount is now a multi-purpose theater featuring plays, ballets, movies, big-name comedians, and touring bands.

The Paramount's original painted curtain, depicting a rural landscape, is still in use, and an ornate mural of Saint Cecelia adorns the ceiling. Backstage, they still employ the original system of ropes, pulleys, and sandbags to raise and lower the curtains and set pieces.