Editor's note: Schulman Theatres has provided a corrected cost for the renovations of $4 million.

In 2023, Georgetown's City Lights Theatre underwent major renovations to become Film Alley—a family entertainment center that includes movies, bowling, games and dining.

The overview

The $4 million renovations to the theater began in April and include the following additions:

  • A full-service bar and restaurant
  • An arcade
  • Ax-throwing space
  • A six-lane bowling alley
  • Heated recliner chairs in theaters
The theaters remained opened throughout most of the eight-month construction process, which wrapped up the last week of December.

Some context


These changes come as the Central Texas-based parent company, Schulman Theatres, seeks to rebrand its remaining City Lights Theater locations to become multivenue spots.

"The Film Alley name is more reflective of the changes we are seeing in the movie industry. With the rise of streaming, it takes more to get people to come out to a theater," Schulman Theatres Marketing Manager Christopher Moss said.

Schulman Theatres was founded in 1926 and has three other Film Alley locations in Bastrop, Weatherford and Terrell as well as two remaining City Lights locations in Palestine and Mt. Pleasant.

Another detail


To accommodate the new amenities, the Georgetown Film Alley now has 10 movie theaters instead of 12. However, Moss said the number of showtimes offered will increase to avoid overcrowding.

Moss said he is optimistic the new additions will bring in more traffic to the theater and allow them to host more events.

"Like many of our locations, Georgetown is a growing community. ... In these suburban areas, families need more gathering places to come and spend quality time together," Moss said.

Looking ahead


While the amenities are now open to the public, a grand opening celebration will happen in January, although an exact date was not available at the time of publication.