Lafayette Theatre
97 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901
Open · verified by Lumina November 2026
A single-screen 1924 movie palace in Suffern with about 1,000 seats, showing first-run films and classics, with a Wurlitzer organ played before some shows. It also hosts live events and shadow-cast Rocky Horror nights.
Quick facts
- Type
- Historic, Single screen, Independent first-run
- Address
- 97 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901
- Phone
- (845) 547-2121
- Screens
- 1
- Seats
- 1,000
- Opened
- 1924
- Hours
- Evening shows Thu-Sat, matinees Sat-Sun
What to expect
On screen
- New releases
- Classics and revivals
- Special events
- Live performance
- Family films
- Film festivals
At the theater
- Concessions
- Private rentals
The story
The Lafayette was built in 1923 and opened in 1924 with the silent film Scaramouche. Architect Eugene De Rosa designed it in a Beaux Arts style for the Suffern Amusement Company. A 1927 renovation added opera boxes, and in 1953 it became the first theater in Rockland County with CinemaScope, premiering The Robe. Attendance dropped in the 1950s and 1960s, but the building escaped demolition and was never split into multiple screens. A stage refit and a Wurlitzer organ followed in the late 1980s, and a 2002 interior restoration brought back its pre-war look with modern projection. A new chandelier went in during 2003. The organ is owned and maintained by a theatre organ society and plays on weekend nights and before Saturday morning classics.
Good to know
- How many seats are there?
- The site says about 1,000.
- Is there live music with films?
- Yes, the Wurlitzer organ plays on Sundays and before some classic screenings.
- Can the theater be rented?
- The site lists private rentals.
- Where is Lafayette Theatre?
- Lafayette Theatre is at 97 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901. Phone: (845) 547-2121.
- Is Lafayette Theatre open?
- Yes. Lumina verified Lafayette Theatre as open in November 2026. Check the theater's showtimes for today's schedule.
- How do I buy tickets for Lafayette Theatre?
- Buy tickets directly from the theater using the Showtimes & tickets button on this page. You can also call (845) 547-2121.
- What independent theaters are near Lafayette Theatre?
- Paramount Hudson Valley Theater in Peekskill (17 mi), Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville (19 mi), and Bellevue Theatre in Upper Montclair (19 mi).
- Paramount Hudson Valley TheaterJacob Burns Film CenterBellevue Theatre
Getting there
97 Lafayette Avenue, Suffern, NY 10901 · Get directions · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Independent cinemas near Lafayette Theatre
Paramount Hudson Valley Theater
Peekskill, NY · 17 mi
Paramount Hudson Valley Theater is an independent movie theater in Peekskill, New York, at 1008 Brown Street.
Jacob Burns Film Center
Pleasantville, NY · 19 mi
A nonprofit three-screen film center in downtown Pleasantville, showing independent and documentary releases with filmmaker discussions. It also runs education programs and a wine bar and cafe open Thursday to Sunday.
Bellevue Theatre
Upper Montclair, NJ · 19 mi
Montclair Film's Upper Montclair screen, mixing new independent and documentary releases with a B-Sides series of cult favorites, B-movies and oddities.
William Carlos Williams Center for the Performing Arts
Rutherford, NJ · 21 mi
A 1922 Rutherford theater with three cinema screens showing repertory, cult, anime and midnight titles, plus live music, a film society and a silent film with live accompaniment.
Clairidge
Montclair, NJ · 21 mi
Montclair Film's main Bloomfield Avenue screen for new independent, international and documentary releases, with opera broadcasts from the Met added to the calendar.
United Palace of Cultural Arts
New York, NY · 22 mi
A 1930 Washington Heights movie palace now used mainly for concerts and live shows, with occasional film screenings such as a Sunday series. Film is a small part of the calendar.
More historic cinemas in New York
Beacon Movie Theater
Beacon, NY
Beacon Movie Theater is a historic movie theater in Beacon, New York, at 445 Main Street. It opened in 1934.
BAM Rose Cinemas
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Academy of Music's film program, combining new independent and international releases with retrospectives and a summer film festival, in screens inside the Peter Jay Sharp Building.
Kent Theater
Brooklyn, NY
A three-screen Flatbush neighborhood cinema open since 1939, with a lobby arcade, a popcorn counter and a $6 bargain Wednesday.
Hours
Evening shows Thu-Sat, matinees Sat-Sun
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