Where to See Holiday Movies in LA

From beloved classics like It's a Wonderful Life and Meet Me in St. Louis to modern favorites like Elf and Home Alone, holiday movies will be screening throughout December at landmark theatres and outdoor venues across Los Angeles. Enjoy the spirit of the season with sing-alongs, themed snacks and specialty cocktails, and interactive experiences.

Located at The Bloc in Downtown LA, Alamo Drafthouse is hosting special Movie Parties for their holiday screenings - cheer for the heroes, boo the bad guys and shout out your favorite lines with fellow fans.

Don’t be a cotton-headed ninny-muggins! Celebrate the 20th anniversary of Elf with a Movie Party (Dec. 2, 4, 10, 17, 18, 23, 24) featuring fun props, a gift "wrap off" before the film, and of course, your very own elf hat.

For National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Dec. 3 & 6) you'll get special props like pine tree air fresheners, yellow glow sticks, and ugly neckties to help you feel like you're an honorary Griswold. It’ll be more fun than a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.

Go beyond soda with holiday shakes, cocktails and hot cocoas that are sure to lift your spirits:

• Candy Cane Shake - vanilla ice cream blended with candy canes, topped with whipped cream and crushed candy canes
• Papa Elf’s Peppermint Schnapps Shake - Candy Cane Shake with peppermint schnapps
• Holiday Sangria - Monkey Shoulder Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, Liber & Co. Raspberry Gum, orange, cinnamon
• Poinsettia Cocktail - Guinigi Prosecco, Naranja Orange Liqueur, cranberry, orange zest
• Hot Cocoa - hot chocolate and marshmallow
• Spiked Cocoa - hot chocolate, marshmallow, Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
• Cocoa Berry - hot chocolate, strawberry puree, Liber & Co. Raspberry Gum
• Caramel Cinnamon - hot chocolate, caramel, cinnamon spice

'Tis the season for the annual holiday movie screening at Walt Disney Concert Hall! Written and produced by John Hughes, Home Alone (1990) stars Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who's accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation. Kevin must defend his home against two bumbling thieves (played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) in this modern classic directed by Chris Columbus.

On December 20-22, John Williams' Oscar-nominated score - featuring the signature song "Somewhere in My Memory" - will be performed live-to-picture, conducted by David Newman with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

Arrive early for Home Alone in Concert wearing your best ugly holiday sweater, and test your knowledge of Home Alone with trivia presented by Scum & Villainy in BP Hall.

For its annual Christmas Eve screening, Secret Movie Club presents Frank Capra's 1946 holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life, in 35mm at the historic Million Dollar Theatre. Jimmy Stewart (in his own personal favorite role) stars as kind, good-hearted George Bailey, who never gets out of his hometown Bedford Falls to live out his dreams of travel and adventure. Instead, George takes over his father's small Building and Loan, builds a family with his resourceful wife Mary (Donna Reed), and helps the townspeople battle Scrooge-like local millionaire Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore). Henry Travers plays the guardian angel Clarence, who shows George what the world would be like if he had never existed.

Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite and priced at $14 for Early Bird, and $17 for Day Of.

Rooftop Cinema Club offers a premier outdoor movie experience at LEVEL in Downtown LA, ROW DTLA in the Arts District, and in El Segundo.

ROW DTLA has a full slate of holiday movies this season:

• The Holiday (Nov. 24; Dec. 3, 16)
• The Grinch (Nov. 25; Dec. 3, 16)
• Elf (Nov. 25; Dec. 1, 3, 9, 12, 16)
• Serendipity (Nov. 25; Dec. 10)
• Frozen (Nov. 26)
• Home Alone (Nov. 26; Dec. 9, 13, 17)
• You've Got Mail (Nov. 26; Dec. 9)
• The Best Man Holiday (Dec. 1)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (Dec. 2, 17)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Dec. 8, 15)
• The Polar Express (Dec. 10)
• The Night Before (Dec. 15)
• It's a Wonderful Life (Dec. 17)

Presented by Street Food Cinema in collaboration with Heritage Square Museum, the annual Yuletide Cinemaland series invites you to explore historic Victorian-era homes and enjoy outdoor screenings of holiday favorites.

• Elf (Dec. 15)
• Home Alone 1 & 2 Pajama Party (Dec. 16)
• The Muppet Christmas Carol & Scrooged (Dec. 17)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas & Batman Returns (Dec. 18)
• The Holiday 21+ Night (Dec. 19)
• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (Dec. 20)
• TV Christmas Episodes (Dec. 21)
• Die Hard & Krampus (Dec. 22)
• Elf (Dec. 23)

Each event features:

• Victorian Holiday Home Tours
• Twinkling Light Tunnel
• Tinsel Tavern
• Live Piano Sing-Alongs
• Yuletide Market
• Food Trucks
• Classic Concessions
• Letters to Santa

Yuletide Cinemaland features two screening areas - family-friendly and 21+ outdoor bar. Leashed dogs are welcome to the outdoor activities!

Doors at 5pm. Early screenings at 6:30pm, late screenings at 8pm. Guided Victorian home tours from 6pm to 8:30pm.

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit the Street Food Cinema website.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures presents the second annual 3D-cember! During the week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, experience the museum's state-of-the-art Dolby 3D projection systems with classic and contemporary films shot in and/or intended for projection in 3D.

3D-cember kicks off with a Sunday matinee of The Polar Express (2004) on Christmas Eve. Based on the popular illustrated children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, The Polar Express tells the story of a skeptical young boy who finds himself on a magical train to the North Pole. Director Robert Zemeckis filmed the entire movie in live-action (Tom Hanks played most of the principal roles) and used motion capture and CGI to create the film's striking visual style.

The Polar Express will screen at 2pm in the Ted Mann Theatre. Tickets are on sale at the Academy Museum website.

Originally opened in 1936, the famed Cinegrill Theater became a hotspot for Golden Age Hollywood. In September 2022, the Hollywood Roosevelt resurrected the Cinegrill with a stunning design that evokes its celebrated history. Hidden behind a bookcase in the lower lobby, the intimate theater features velvet lounge-style sofas and a gilded stage with red curtains and gold accents.

Hosted by film critic and winemaker José Ignacio Cuenca, the Classic Cinema Night series presents one of the all-time holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life on Tuesday, December 19. After a lukewarm reception on its initial release, Frank Capra's 1946 film has since become a holiday tradition for generations of American families, and George Bailey is regarded as one of Jimmy Stewart's most iconic roles.

Tickets on sale at Eventbrite. Enjoy bar bites and sip signature cocktails like the Army/Navy, Champagne Cocktail, Stinger, Revolver and Paloma.

Quentin Tarantino's indie movie theatre, the New Beverly Cinema is showing a wide range of holiday-themed movies in 35mm throughout December, including Kiddee Matinees with Elf (Dec. 2, 3), The Muppet Christmas Carol (Dec. 16, 17) and Arthur Christmas (Dec. 23); and two screenings of Die Hard on Christmas Eve.

Double features include Black Christmas / Silent Night, Deadly Night (Dec. 11, 12), It's a Wonderful Life / Gremlins (Dec. 16, 17), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation / Scrooged (Dec. 20, 21) and Christmas Day with the Marx Brothers: A Night at the Opera / Go West.

Located on the rooftop adjacent to the patio at E.P. & L.P., the Melrose Rooftop Theatre (MRT) offers an unforgettable outdoor cinema experience with the Hollywood Hills as the stunning backdrop. MRT features a state-of-the-art Da Lite 16’ x 19’ screen, wireless headphones, classic concessions, and bean bag seats.

Upcoming holiday screenings at MRT include:

• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dec. 1, 22)
• Elf (Dec. 2, 23)
• The Last Holiday (Dec. 3)
• Meet Me in St. Louis (Dec. 4)
• Krampus (Dec. 5)
• Gremlins (Dec. 6)
• The Holiday (Dec. 7)
• Batman Returns (Dec. 8)
• Violent Night (Dec. 9)
• The Polar Express (Dec. 10)
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Dec. 11)
• Jingle Jangle (Dec. 12)
• The Santa Clause (Dec. 13)
• Die Hard (Dec. 15)
• Home Alone (Dec. 16)
• Scrooged (Dec. 17)
• Jingle All the Way (Dec. 18)
• Trading Places (Dec. 19)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas 30th Anniversary (Dec. 20)
• Home Alone 2 (Dec. 21)
• Bad Santa (Dec. 24)

Doors at 7:30pm, movies begin at 8:30pm. Tickets are now on sale at the Melrose Rooftop Theatre website. Options include General Admission, Dinner & Movie for Two, and the Ultimate Date Night, which includes dinner for two on the rooftop, dessert, a bottle of Whispering Angel Rosé, VIP bean bag seats, popcorn and blankets.

Located at the former Sears parking lot in Glendale, the Electric Dusk Drive-In pop-up is featuring single and double features for the holidays:

• The Nightmare Before Christmas & Gremlins (Dec. 2)
• Fools Rush In (Dec. 8)
• Elf (Dec. 9)
• The Holiday (Dec. 15)
• Home Alone & Jingle All the Way (Dec. 16)

Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite. Upgrades/add-ons include VIP front row parking for one vehicle; AstroTurf seating for lawn chairs; and a Date Night Snack Pack that includes a teddy bear, popcorn, sodas and candy.