Summer in Seattle means movie nights under the stars, with blankets spread across park lawns and the skyline coming alive after sunset. From screenings beneath the Space Needle at Seattle Center and dog-friendly evenings at Marymoor Park to a drive-in theater that allows overnight stays and even a sail-in theater, the city offers plenty of ways to turn a summer evening into a core memory. Many of these outdoor movies series are free and packed with extra offerings such as food trucks and pre-movie entertainment.
Here are eight options for catching an outdoor movie in Seattle this summer:
Center City Cinema (Seattle parks)
Every year, Seattle Parks and Recreation offers a free summer movie series at Seattle parks called Center City Cinema, usually from June into September. There were almost 30 movies shown last year at various city parks! They’re kicking off the 2026 season with Blade Runner (1982) on July 8 at Denny Park; other upcoming picks include Sinners, La La Land, and The Hunger Games. You can check out the entire schedule on their Facebook events page.
Movies at the Mural (Seattle Center)
Every summer, Seattleites are treated to free outdoor movies under the Space Needle at Seattle Center, including the traditional showing of The Princes Bride. There will be five movies in total this year, starting on July 21 with Wonka and ending on August 21 with Masters of the Universe. Read more about this year’s Movies at the Mural before you go.
Movies by the Tower (Maple Leaf)
Maple Leaf Reservoir Park hosts Movies at the Tower every August, in partnership with the Maple Leaf Community Council and Scarecrow Video. In addition to the free popcorn and admission, there will be a 21+ beer garden, live music, and movie trivia with prizes beforehand. This year’s dates are August 9, 16, and 23.
KeyBank Outdoor Movies at Marymoor Park (Redmond)
Marymoor Park in Redmond is only a 20-minute drive from downtown Seattle so don’t miss out on their outdoor movie series running weekly July-August. There will be pre-movie entertainment and food trucks every night, plus it’s dog-friendly. Movie tickets are about $10 per person and free for ages 5 and under. Read more about this year’s Movies at Marymoor Park before you go.
Downtown Movies in the Park (Bellevue)
You can hop on the light rail’s new 2 Line or make the short drive across Lake Washington over to Bellevue Downtown Park for free outdoor summer movies in July and August. The pre-movie fun starts at 7:00 p.m. and the movies start at dusk. We’ll update this when the 2026 schedule is announced.
Movies at Juanita Beach Park (Kirkland)
Kirkland’s annual Outdoor Summer Movie Series at Juanita Beach Park usually takes place over the course of three July evenings. Each night features two movies: one starting at 6:00 p.m. and the later one at 8:00 p.m. Bring your own seating and settle in for a free double feature! This year’s dates are Saturday, July 18, Saturday, July 25, and Saturday, August 1. See the full movie lineup here.
Sail-In Cinema (Port of Everett)
This annual waterfront movie series at the Port of Everett typically takes place on Friday evenings in July and August. If you have a boat, you can dock at Guest Dock 7 (there is limited guest moorage on a first-come, first-served basis) and then come ashore to watch the movie in Boxcar Park. All the movies are free and family-friendly. We’ll update this with the 2026 schedule when we have it. See more info here.
Blue Fox Drive-In (Whidbey Island)
If you hop over to nearby Whidbey Island, you’ll find Blue Fox Drive-In: a long-running drive-in theater in Oak Harbor that plays double features year-round at an affordable price: tickets are about $7 per adult (kids under 5 are free). In addition to a snack bar, the property also has an arcade and Go-Karts. Best of all, they permit overnight camping: it’s free to stay and sleep in your car or tent, and it’s $50 for trailers, RV’s and camper trucks/vans.
