The multiplex is the most common type of movie theater today. It will typically house several screens, sometimes as many as 20. A multiplex shows new release feature films, also known as first-run films. Though some multiplex theaters may be devoted to independent or foreign films, this type of theater primarily shows commercial films from Hollywood. The first multiplex, with two theaters, was opened by Stanley H. Durwood in 1963.
The movie palace (or picture palace in the UK) was a type of movie theater in the 1940s that sought to make going to a movie more of an event. Movie palaces could seat between 2,500 and 6,000 patrons at one time, and would often feature big vaudeville and musical acts before and after a film was shown. The movie palace became a real social experience for many moviegoers during this time; they'd often spend an entire evening at the movies.
Drive-in movie theaters are comprised of movie screens that are set up in large open spaces so patrons can watch movies from the comfort of their cars, which they pull next to individual speakers. These venues, which usually include snack bars, will often have double features. Though drive-in movie theaters are still in existence today, they were at their peak in the '60s and '70s and are slowly disappearing from cities across America.
Nickelodeon theaters were introduced in the early 1900s as the first theaters dedicated only to films. Before the nickelodeon, patrons had to use a kinetoscope to watch films, dropping a penny into a slot and watching through a tiny peephole. Nickelodeon theaters would show films on a large screen, and house between 100 and 500 at a time. They were called nickelodeon because their shows would cost each patron a nickel. Nickelodeon programs would change frequently, typically twice a week, so patrons would come back again and again.