Time Out recently scoured the globe for the most beautiful picture palaces and movie houses, and two Canadian movie theatres made the list — including one from Ontario! Out of the top 50 cinemas, the outlet ranked The Little Prince Micro-Cinema in Stratford, ON, as no. 16 on their list.
The 12-seat, 16.29-square-metre theatre is just under a 2-hour drive from Toronto and is currently the Guinness World Record holder for the smallest purpose-built cinema (even beating out Cinema dei Piccoli in Rome).
Located at 62 Wellington St in Market Square, The Little Prince Micro-Cinema is nestled between a restaurant and a shoe repair shop, alongside a strip of other small businesses downtown. The venue specializes in private as well as public film screenings, acting as a mini-cinema, lounge and intimate event spot — the space even has an accompanying lobby lounge and concession, with the most delicious popcorn and more than 60 flavours of cotton candy!
The Little Prince Micro-Cinema was once a handmade crafts store until founder Leigh Cooney (along with family, friends and other community members) converted it into a tiny cinema in 2019. It boasts a decor that blends design and decorating elements from the Victorian era to the Roaring Twenties, sprinkled with pop-culture references — so, when you walk in, the space will feel both old-fashioned and timeless. It’s the perfect spot to check out during a weekend getaway or an impromptu day trip to Stratford! Check out the venue’s public screenings here (tickets are only $5).
The 19th most beautiful cinema in the world can be found in Western Canada, along the beautiful shores of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park — the Park Theatre Complex in Wasagaming, Manitoba, is the only other Canadian theatre to make the list and is considered the largest log cabin theatre in North America!
This 500-seat cinema opened in 1937 and was designated a heritage building in 2019. It’s a family-run business, so you’ll likely see the grandkids selling popcorn, grandma in the box office and grandpa in the store! Although it’s a historic venue, the cinema shows current Hollywood films, and the owners ditched their vintage projectors in 2012 for a 12K Digital Barco Projector and 7.1 Surround Sound. Although this theatre is a bit further from Toronto, you can take a scenic rail trip from downtown Toronto to Manitoba via The Canadian train, which was recently named one of the world’s top rail experiences!
For the top five most beautiful cinemas in the world — Le Grand Rex in Paris topped the list, followed by Pathé Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski in Amsterdam (no. 2), Village East Cinema in New York (no. 3), Cineteca in Madrid (no. 4), and The Electric in London, England (no. 5). Click here to see the full list.
