Le Louxor Palais du Cinema

Built in 1920 by architect Henry Zipcy, the Louxor is one of the only cinemas left from pre-war entertainment and possibly the oldest movie palace of Paris.

Inspired by the 1917 film hit Cleopatra staring vamp actress Theda Bara, Zipcy created one of the few Egyptian Revival marvels of Paris, a movie theater that offered the working class population of the neighborhood a bit of luxury.

The Louxor struggled for decades to find an audience and eventually specialized in “exotic” cinema, showing Bollywood, North African films, and erotic features late at night. In the 1980s, it became an Antillean nightclub, and then the Parisian equivalent of the Studio 54, where the gay and party community used it as a stronghold.

Unfortunately, it was sold in the 1990s and abandoned for 20 years until a local association saved it from being demolished and the City of Paris renovated the ruins of the Louxor. The movie palace reopened in 2013, and the lavish theater is again playing movies. Buying a movie ticket will give you access to the bar upstairs, on the secret rooftop.