Waco started fall with two first-run multiplexes and 30 screens between them. By mid-October it had one theater with 14. The AMC Galaxy 16 on South Valley Mills Drive closed after its last shows on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. It had opened on Feb. 27, 1998 as Starplex Galaxy 16, and KWTX reported that the 16-screen theater ran for more than 28 years.
That leaves Cinemark Waco and XD at 2400 Creekview Drive as the city's only first-run cinema going into Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any holiday release that opens in Waco between now and New Year's Day will compete for the same 14 auditoriums. Because of that, the dates on the calendar matter more this year than the showtimes.
Where Waco's screens went
The Galaxy at 333 S. Valley Mills Drive was one of the last links to an older map of Waco moviegoing. AMC bought Starplex in 2015 and renamed the theater. KWTX reported that AMC has closed more than 200 theaters nationwide since 2020 and opened about 65 in that time.
In the Waco Tribune-Herald, Mike Copeland pointed to Cinemark's 14-screen theater, which opened across town five years ago, as part of the story. With its food court, upgraded picture and sound, and recliners, he wrote, Cinemark "has the Waco market cornered, at least for now." The same article traces earlier changes. The former Regal Jewel on Woodway Drive is becoming a youth sports center, and a former theater on North Valley Mills Drive is being turned into a grocery store.
Cinemark opened on Oct. 8, 2021, as part of Cottonwood Creek Market. That's NewQuest's 143-acre development where I-35 South meets West Loop 340 and Highway 6. With the Galaxy gone, Waco's first-run holiday moviegoing now happens on the south side of town, around a single parking field off the interstate.
The holiday slate, all on one set of screens
Here is the wide-release schedule from Box Office Mojo's November and December calendars, with Cinemark's posted discount blackout dates added. Studios do move release dates, so check showtimes the week of.
| Date | Scheduled wide releases | Cinemark discount note |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Ebenezer | |
| Fri., Nov. 20 | The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | |
| Tue., Nov. 24 | No Discount Tuesday | |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | Hexed | |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | Focker-in-Law | |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Behemoth!, Violent Night 2 | |
| Fri., Dec. 18 | Dune: Part Three, Avengers: Doomsday | |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | No Discount Sunday | |
| Tue., Dec. 22 | No Discount Tuesday | |
| Wed., Dec. 23 | The Angry Birds Movie 3 | |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | Mr. Irrelevant, Jumanji: Open World, Werwulf | |
| Sun., Dec. 27 | No Discount Sunday | |
| Tue., Dec. 29 | No Discount Tuesday |
The weekend to watch is Dec. 18. Two big franchise releases open the same Friday, and last year their audiences could have split between two theaters across town. If Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday both open in Waco that weekend, they will share one lobby, one concession line and one set of XD and D-BOX auditoriums. Two days later, Discount Sunday is suspended on Dec. 20.
The cheap nights fall away right when school lets out
Cinemark's discount page lists Discount Tuesdays, matinee pricing up to $6 off, and senior, student, military and family discounts. It also says participation and prices vary by theater. Over the holidays, the cheaper nights disappear on the very dates a family is most likely to go.
- Thanksgiving week. Discount Tuesday is off on Nov. 24, the day before Hexed opens and three days before Focker-in-Law goes wide.
- Christmas week. Discount Sunday is off on Dec. 20, and Discount Tuesday is off on Dec. 22.
- The week after Christmas. Discount Sunday is off on Dec. 27, and Discount Tuesday is off on Dec. 29.
That leaves Dec. 15 as the last regular Discount Tuesday before the Dec. 18 openings, and early December as the stretch where the posted discounts still apply. On Tuesdays, Cinemark says Movie Rewards members get its best admission price. Its paid Movie Club tier is listed as "Starting at $10.99" a month plus tax. That includes one monthly 2D ticket credit, 20% off concessions and no online ticket fees, and premium formats may cost extra. Unused credits roll over while the membership stays active, and Cinemark sets the price by billing ZIP code. If you're planning to see two or three movies across the season, credits saved in November can go toward the busy December weekends.
Making a night of it at Cottonwood Creek Market
Since Waco's movie season now happens in one place, it helps to know what's around the theater. Cinemark Waco and XD has an expanded menu called Studio Eats with pizza, burgers, chicken tenders and fries. It also has a bar, an arcade and a birthday party room, and some auditoriums have heated recliners.
Outside, NewQuest's tenant list for Cottonwood Creek Market includes Topgolf, Main Event, Chick-fil-A, Whataburger, GEN Korean BBQ, Black Rifle Coffee and Lovesac. According to the Tribune-Herald, several restaurants followed Cinemark into the development after it opened. On a crowded weekend, that makes it easy to buy tickets online for a later show and spend the wait at Main Event or Topgolf, or over dinner, instead of in the lobby.
If you're new to the area on Fort Cavazos orders, head toward the I-35 and Loop 340 interchange. That's what most locals will mean when they say "the Cinemark."
When the Waco show is sold out
The closest backup is Cinemark Temple and XD at 4501 South General Bruce Drive in Temple, which has XD, D-BOX, luxury loungers, a bar and the same expanded menu. It's the same chain with the same premium formats, so if Waco shows sell out on a busy weekend, it's worth checking Temple's showtimes too.
Woodway has a different kind of night out on its events calendar. Freaky Friday Fork & Film is listed for Friday, Nov. 13, and pairs a movie with a multi-course meal. Wacoan links the event to Curry Up & Wok This Way and The Pavilion at The Arboretum. Check the details with the host before you go.
Where the smaller films live now
Having one theater can also affect which movies come to town. In the Tribune-Herald, Chris Hansen, who chairs Baylor University's film and digital media department, said he expects "a reduced variety of films." He noted that AMC had sometimes shown smaller and independent titles and said it's good for a city to have an alternative. The holiday table above shows what that looks like in practice, with sequels, franchises and family titles filling nearly every Friday.
Waco's independent film culture now gathers around Waco Indie. Its tenth-anniversary festival ran July 16 to 19, 2026, in downtown Waco. Fox 44 reported that screenings were held at the Hippodrome, the Palladium, Brotherwell Brewing and the PACC, and that co-founders Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter run the festival. Between festivals, Waco Indie and KWBU host the Waco Movie Club. For the Sept. 17 meeting, people watched 9 to 5 at home and then met at Segovia Wine Bar to talk about it. The festival's events calendar is the place to watch for the next one.
The Hippodrome on Austin Avenue still hosts festival screenings, but its own holiday calendar is mostly live shows, including a cirque show on Dec. 6 and a comedy night on Dec. 18. If Creekview Drive is packed on Dec. 18, a seat downtown that same night is another option.
At Empyral Group, we're Central Texans too, and we like knowing which nights the discounts drop out and which exit gets you to Creekview Drive before the trailers start. If you're new to Waco, whether you came for Fort Cavazos or a new job in town, and want the local version of the map, from the best movie nights to the routes that save time, reach out. Let's Make Your Next Move: Talk to Our Local Team.
