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Warm nights in New York City are best enjoyed outdoors and one of the best ways to appreciate a pleasant spring or summer evening is with an outdoor movie screening. Luckily for New Yorkers, there are tons of places to enjoy outdoor movies while also taking in amazing city views and enjoying delicious food. Whether you’re looking for new releases, classics, or foreign language films, here are some of the best places in the city to catch an outdoor screening:
Rooftop Films kicks off every new season with special screenings at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. The non-profit organization has hosted outdoor movies in exciting locations all over the city for more than twenty years. Screening locations include the Brooklyn Army Terminal, Van Cortlandt Park, Industry City, and The Old American Can Factory, which also serves as Rooftop Films’ main office. The films, which include documentaries, indies, and film festival favorites, are accompanied by live musical performances, Q&A sessions, and after-parties.
Located atop the Embassy Suites Hotel in Midtown, the Rooftop Cinema Club shows outdoor movies starting in May. The films screened are a mix of new releases and classic films in a variety of different genres, from Clueless and Dirty Dancing to The Shining and Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. The Rooftop Cinema Club experience includes wireless headphones, adjustable deck chairs and access to the Skylawn Rooftop Bar. You can munch on classic cinema concessions including fresh popcorn (vegan), candy and soft drinks as well as ballpark-style food such as hot dogs, Bavarian pretzels, and nachos that are available for purchase.
A new free outdoor movie series in The Bronx presents works by filmmakers of color, locals from the Uptown NYC area, and immigrants. This season debuted in Joyce Kilmer Park with screenings of Ro & The Stardust (2022), a space fantasy short film by Eunice Levis, a Dominican-American Bronxite, and Black Girl (1966), a feature by celebrated Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène.
This series, organized by the Bronx Independent Cinema Center (BICC) in association with the 161st Business Improvement District, will also include Joyce Kilmer Park screenings on July 27th, August 24th, and a September date to be announced, as well as screenings at nearby Lou Gehrig Plaza on July 28th and August 25th.
This is the first step by BICC, a non-profit founded in 2022, to bring regular indie cinema programming and a filmmaking incubator to the borough. They will begin a fundraising campaign in September for a permanent space. They are working to reach a $250,000 benchmark, which will be used to acquire a storefront space in the Fordham area by next year.
This season, the Cultural Services French Embassy’s Films on the Green outdoor summer film series will focus on the art of dance in film. From June 2nd through September 8th, the series will show 12 outdoor movies that highlight “the beauty, rhythm, and emotion of dance.” Foreign-language films will be presented with English subtitles. All of the screenings take place at different green spaces around New York City including Cedar Hill in Central Park, Riverside Park, Transmitter Park in Greenpoint, and more. Now in its 15th season, the series will show films that include The Young Girls of Rochefort starring Gene Kelly, The Tango Lesson, Casablanca Beats, the animanted film Leap! and more!
In 2023, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is celebrating a special anniversary. To mark the 80th anniversary of the ship, this year’s summer movie nights will have a ship theme. Starting on June 30th, you can watch Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Crimson Tide, and Top Gun: Maverick atop the historic aircraft carrier’s flight deck. Surrounded by views of the Hudson River and city skyline, the movies screened are just as epic as the location they are shown in. Admission is free and spots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis when the flight deck opens at 5:00pm. The movie begins at sunset.
The theme for the Museum of the City of New York’s summer outdoor movies series will be New York on Film: Decade by Decade. The films selected will take you “on a journey through NYC history from the 1920s to the 2020s.” Over the course of 12 months, the series will explore “how New York has been imagined both by Hollywood studios and a diverse range of documentary, independent, and experimental filmmakers.” Films screened will range from classic blockbusters to indie darlings and are presented in conjunction with the museum’s new exhibition This is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture, which honors the museum’s 100th anniversary. While some of the films will be screened indoors, summer movies will be shown al fresco on the museum’s terrace.
Movie Nights at Bryant Park will return for the 30th season on June 12th. The outdoor movies shown are part of the Paramount+ library, as Paramount is the official partner of the series. The films are curated in partnership with New York Magazine’s Vulture and feature a mix of blockbusters and cult favorites. The lawn opens at 5pm and the movie starts around sunset. Food is available for purchase from vendors at the Hester Street Fair on the park’s fountain terrace. Beer and wine are also available for purchase.
Another spot to catch an outdoor film with a view is at Seaport Cinema. Located on the Rooftop at Pier 17, this moviegoing experience comes with waterfront views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. The 2023 lineup hasn’t been announced just yet, but you can check for updates on their website. You can make reservations in advance and food and drinks are available for purchase.
Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park will begin Thursday, July 6th. This summer outdoor movie series has been running since 2000 and has welcomed more than 1,700,000 visitors. The eight-week film series is free and open to the public and includes amazing views of the New York City skyline. The series takes place on the Harbor View Lawn at Pier 1 on Thursday evenings. This year’s theme is “We Are Family.” Some of the titles that will be screened include Despicable Me, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Goodfellas, Psycho, Smoke Signals, Top Gun, and a public choice vote of The Addams Family (1991), Little Women (2019), or Romeo + Juliet (1996). Food and drink for sale will be provided by Time Out Market.
Back for the 9th year, CinemaLIC returns to Hunters Point Park South for four screenings in July, August, and September. As the film plays out on a 30-foot inflatable screen, you can also enjoy a glittering view of the Manhattan skyline across the East River. Food and beverages are available for purchase at Ottomanelli’s by the Water.
Coney Island Flicks on the Beach will bring classic films to the Coney Island waterfront this summer. Every other Monday from July through August, head to the beach at West 12th Street to catch outdoor movies just steps away from the legendary Wonder Wheel and Luna Park.
The Trust for Governor’s Island and Film at Lincoln Center have partnered to present a series of outdoor screenings on the island. The lineup for 2023 have yet to be released. Screenings are free and open to the public with pre-show entertainment starting at 7:00PM. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at each screening,
Every August, the Central Park Conservancy hosts a week of evening film screenings that are free and open to the public. The films will be shown on a giant screen between Sheep’s Meadow and 72nd Street Cross Drive. Films have not yet been released for the 2023 season.
One of the more unique places you can catch a film this summer is inside the Sculpture Garden at The Museum of Modern Art. The Film in the Sculpture Garden screenings are hosted by the museum’s Department of Film. Screenings take place on select Wednesday evenings in July and August and tickets are required. The movie selection usually includes genre classics, new restorations, and provocative documentaries. See the lineup here!
At the end of August through early September, the Met Opera hosts outdoor screenings of past Live in HD performances at the plaza at Lincoln Center. The recorded performances are shown on a giant screen hanging from the facade of the opera house. This free event is open to all and seating is first-come, first-served. You may bring your own chair to set up on the perimeter of the plaza if you aren’t able to grab one of the already set up chairs.
Next, check out 22 Drive-In Theaters Across New York State
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