Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
“Yo Soy el Buen Pastor Ego Sum Pastor Bonus” by Bernardo Ramonfaur.
Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacro (Archdiocese Sacred Art Museum)
Burke Building.
Burke Building
‘La Grande Assiette Brisée’ (‘The Large Broken Plate’)
Ellijay Mushrooms Farm
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
View of the Full General Store from the Second Floor.
MoonPie General Store
A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.
Piatto Romano
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Our journey begins in Texas—more specifically in Big Bend National Park.
The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks
about 7 hours ago
While initially unsanctioned, Toronto’s graffiti community converted this largely ignored alleyway into an epicenter of world-class street art.
10 Unexpected Places Where Creativity Shines in Toronto
about 7 hours ago
Prehistoric creatures roam the grounds of the Dinosaur House.
Roadside Dinosaurs: An American Love Story
about 8 hours ago
There’s No Right Way to Say ‘Taco’
about 12 hours ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Texas Houston Aurora Picture Show

Aurora Picture Show

Local arts organization founded in a former church.

Houston, Texas

Added By
Alice
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Aurora Picture Show.   http://swamplot.com/goodbye-aurora-picture...
Aurora Picture Show.   http://swamplot.com/goodbye-aurora-picture...
Aurora Picture Show.   http://swamplot.com/goodbye-aurora-picture...
Aurora Picture Show.   http://swamplot.com/goodbye-aurora-picture...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Originally opened in what the owner called a micro-cinema sanctuary inside of a former church that was built in 1924, the Aurora Picture Show is more than just a theater; it's an organization. A successful local arts organization dedicated to "expanding the cinematic experience and promoting the understanding and appreciation of moving image art," according to the organization's website.

In 2010, Andrea Grover, a home theater specialist, left the original site where the well-known arts organization was founded more than a decade earlier (1998). For the years that Grover operated the organization out of that site, she showed a range of obscure and not-so-obscure film screenings and hosted other events, including 13 wedding receptions and a handful of memorial services. Grover's family used to live on-site.

Now that the organization has grown, the Aurora Picture Show is housed near the Menil Collection. The new home for the organization includes the Aurora Video Library and the Aurora Video Salons. Since 2009, Grover has used the organization's name and reach to host screenings and events in unique settings and alternative spaces all over the city of Houston.

"Aurora has distinguished itself as a home for vanguard work that falls outside of conventional moviemaking and traditionally has fewer exhibition outlets," according to the organization's official website. "Our screenings are known for being memorable and not-to-be-missed as they are not often repeated and are difficult to duplicate." The Aurora Picture Show is a member of the Fresh Arts Coalition.

Currently, the original church space is home to 14 Pews, a micro-cinema founded by filmmaker Cressandra Thibodeaux.

Related Tags

Shops Architectural Oddities Sacred Spaces Architecture

Community Contributors

Added By

Alicekh

Edited By

camecula, giselaparker, nbj914

  • camecula
  • giselaparker
  • nbj914

Published

April 26, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Yelp: Aurora Picture Show: http://www.yelp.com/biz/aurora-picture-show-houston
  • Swamplot: "Goodbye, Aurora Picture Show: Houston’s Best Known Movie House, Up for Sale" (May 2010): http://swamplot.com/goodbye-aurora-picture-show-houstons-best-known-movie-house-up-for-sale/2010-05-24/
  • 14pews.org
Aurora Picture Show
2442 Bartlett St
Houston, Texas, 77098
United States
29.727292, -95.4166
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Hobbit Café

Houston, Texas

miles away

Twilight Epiphany Skyspace

Houston, Texas

miles away

Rothko Chapel

Houston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Houston

Houston

Texas

Places 35
Stories 8

Nearby Places

The Hobbit Café

Houston, Texas

miles away

Twilight Epiphany Skyspace

Houston, Texas

miles away

Rothko Chapel

Houston, Texas

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Houston

Houston

Texas

Places 35
Stories 8

Related Places

  • Moundsville, West Virginia

    New Vrindaban Palace of Gold

    Despite its lavish ornamentation, and wholesome lifestyle of its devotees, this mountain commune has faced its share of issues.

  • Ascoli Piceno, Italy

    Basilica di San Frances Musical Pillars

    These pillars at the main entrance of this church are actually a hidden musical instrument.

  • Drumheller, Alberta

    The Little Church

    A six-person chapel in the middle of Alberta's badlands.

  • Front view.

    Nafplio, Greece

    Church of Agioi Pantes

    A staircase made of gravestones leads up to this church built into a giant rock.

  • Église du Bon-Pasteur

    Lyon, France

    Église du Bon-Pasteur

    This abandoned church in central Lyon is missing its front stairs.

  • Templo del Señor de los Rayos.

    Aguascalientes, Mexico

    Templo del Señor de los Rayos (Temple of the Lord of the Rays)

    The history of this futuristic crypt-turned-temple is as curious as its facade.

  • View of the church and its spire.

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    Church of Our Saviour

    Climb to the top of its spiral spire for spectacular views of Copenhagen.

  • Normanton Church.

    Normanton, England

    Normanton Church

    The sanctuary seems to either float atop the water or sink into the dirt, depending on the water level.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.