As I've been searching for things in Austin to add to what I call my "ATX Bucket List", I realized that I had never been to the famous Paramount Theater, an iconic and historical building located on Congress Avenue, near the Texas Capitol Building. It's been around since 1915, and has seen its fair share of historical and well-known figures, such as Houdini, as well as tons of Austin history!
After discovering that the theater was hosting a holiday classic film series, of course, I had to go! I bought tickets for my Mom and I, and we made a night out of the excursion.
We began with a quick dinner at Eureka! on 6th Street. Neither of us had been there before, so it seemed like a fun place to go. The restaurant is supposedly known for its selection of craft beers and burgers; it did not disappoint! Though neither of us had an alcoholic beverage, we both thoroughly enjoyed our burger choices. Mom went with the Eureka! American cheese burger, and I had the Chipotle Turkey.
My burger, pictured above, was pretty wonderful. It had all my favorite burger toppings: avocado, feta, salsa, and arugula. Mom and I both agreed that our burgers rivaled the famed burgers from Hopdoddys! There were also numerous options that weren't burgers, including plenty of things for vegetarians. It's definitely somewhere I would go again, especially for a late dinner before a night out on 6th! You can check out Eureka!'s menu here.
The theater was about a five minute walk away, and when we got there, we were delighted to see the whole place lit up, a line out the door, and tons of people dressed up like they were going to a party.
I walked up to the box office to get out tickets, and was quite wonder-struck when I noticed snow falling from the top of the theater! There was also a choir singing Christmas carols, which added to the festive mood.
The reception was grand, of course, an absolutely perfect as it was smartly decked out in Christmas attire too. The whole event really put me in the Christmas spirit!
The theater itself looked stately and beautiful with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and little fancy boxes up front for a special view of the show.
The classic we watched was "A White Christmas" with Bing Crosby. I've never been that great at staying awake through movies, especially older films, but I really enjoyed this one. The music, the dancing, plus the crowd at the theater who sang along with all the songs and clapped at the end of each dance movement made this a genial affair.
The old quality of the film gave it an interesting effect on the screen, which made the whole experience feel more "hygge" (a Danish word, though it can't be directly translated, means kind of a warm, cozy feeling, like sitting by a fire next to friends drinking hot chocolate).
A long-time patron of the theater gave my Mom and I the low-down on the history of the building and the programs it offers today. Apparently they also have a summer classic movie series each year as well. The theater is also supposedly haunted, with one spirit who likes to run up the stairs to the top tier of seats and frighten people.
The theater not only shows movies, but hosts a variety of other events, including plays, talks, and film festivals throughout the year.
It's certainly another unique treasure that enriches the culture of Austin, Texas!
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