Cheap and Free Summer Movies

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FREE & CHEAPAs summer nears, kids’ excitement mounts and sometimes so does parents’ anxiety. What will we do all summer? What if it rains? What if it’s too hot to even hang out at the pool? How will we fill up all that free time? I have a solution—free (or nearly) summer movies.

Regal Movie Theaters

You can catch a $1 show on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. May 31 through July 27 at Regal Movie Theater located at the Deerfield Towne Center.

  • Week 1 The Lego Movie, Max
  • Week 2 Goosebumps, The Iron Giant: Signature Edition
  • Week 3 Pan, The Smurfs 2
  • Week 4 Despicable Me 2, Home
  • Week 5 Minions, The Peanuts Movie
  • Week 6 Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
  • Week 7 The Book of Life, Hotel Transylvania 2
  • Week 8 Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Shaun the Sheep
  • Week 9 The Croods, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

Esquire, Kenwood, Eastgate, and Mariemont Theaters

FREE movies on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:30am. Doors open at 9:45am.

  • June 6 and 8 – Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur
  • June 13 and 15 – Penguins of Madagascar
  • June 20 and 22 – The Croods
  • June 27 and 29 – The Peanuts Movie
  • July 4 and 6 – Jumanji
  • July 11 and 13 – Horton Hears a Who
  • July 18 and 20 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
  • July 25 and 27 – Kung Fu Panda 2
  • August 1 and 3 – Home
  • August 8 and 10 – Muppets Take Manhattan

Northgate Xscape Theater 

FREE movies for families on Tuesdays and Thursday in June and July. Doors open at 9:00am, and shows being at 9:30am.

  • June 7 and 9 – Hotel Transylvania 2
  • June 14 and 16 – The Peanuts Movie
  • June 21 and 23 – Smurfs 2
  • June 28 and 30 – Home
  • July 5 and 7 – Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
  • July 12 and 14 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
  • July 19 and 21 – Goosebumps
  • July 26 and 28 – Penguins of Madagascar

Cobb Theater

FREE movies Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 10:00am, with doors opening at 9:30am.

  • June 14, 15, 16 – Norm of the North, Shaun the Sheep
  • June 21, 22, 23 – The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Minions
  • June 28, 29, 30 – Penguins of Madagascar, Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who
  • July 5, 6, 7 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, Shark Tale
  • July 12, 13, 14 – Home, The Peanuts Movie
  • July 19, 20, 21 – Hotel Transylvania 2, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
  • July 26, 27, 28 – Goosebumps, Smurfs 2
  • August 2, 3, 4 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Happy Feet

Showcase Cinemas

The Springdale location will host Bookworm Wednesdays again this year. Kids ages 6 and up can submit a short book report to get free entry into the Wednesday movie. Younger siblings and parents are free. They haven’t released this year’s lineup yet, but you can check their website for updates.

Cinemark Theaters

The Western Hills and Florence locations are offering a 10 ticket punch card for $5 online or $10 at the box office. You can get one HERE.


Would you rather sit on a blanket in the grass, in the fresh breeze, under the sparkling stars instead of inside a theater on a beautiful summer evening? Luckily for you, there are outdoor movie nights all across the city.

Washington Park

FREE movies on Wednesdays from 9:00-11:00pm throughout the season.

  • June 1 – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • June 8 – Sandlot
  • June 15 – Labyrinth
  • June 22 – Clueless
  • June 29 – Top Gun
  • July 6: – Sharknado
  • July 13 – Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
  • July 20 – Home Alone
  • July 27 – Zoolander
  • August 3 – Cool Runnings
  • August 10 – Greese
  • August 17 – The Wiz
  • August 24 – Pitch Perfect
  • August 31 – Cassablanca

Deerfield Township

Movies at dusk on select Fridays throughout the season. Locations vary.

  • June 10 – Minions at Cottell Park
  • June 24 – Hotel Transylvania 2 at Cottell Park
  • July 8 – Mockingjay 2 at Fleckenstein Park
  • July 22 – Alexander and the Terrble, Horrilbe, No Good, Very Bad Day at Landen-Deerfield Park
  • Aug. 12 – Goosebumps at Cottell Park
  • Aug. 26 – Norm of the North at Landen-Deerfield Park
  • Sept. 9 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Cottell Park.

Blue Ash

Movies on select Saturdays at the Blue Ash Nature Park starting at dusk. FREE and open to the public.

  • June 27 – Night at the Museum
  • July 25 – Despicable Me 2

Fairfield

The Fire Department presents movies at the Village Green Ampitheater between the library and the Community Arts Center on select Fridays. There will also be giveaways, glow sticks for the kids, and free popcorn and drinks.

  • May 20 – Boxtrolls
  • June 3 – Minions
  • July 1 – Norm of the North
  • July 15 – Planes: Fire and Rescue
  • August 5 – Home
  • September 9 – Hotel Transylvania 2

Anderson Township Park District

FREE movies at Beechacres Park; start at dusk

  • June 3 – Inside Out
  • August 26 – Zootopia

Cincinnati Nature Center

This east side gem will show a monthly movie in the Nature PlayScape. Families are invited to bring snacks or a picnic dinner and a blanket but please no lawn chairs. Non-members pay park admission fee, FREE to members. There is also a children’s activity planned for 8pm while waiting for dusk to start the movie.

  • June 7 – Over the Hedge
  • July 21 – Kung Fu Panda
  • August 4 – Bee Movie

Eden Park

Cinema in the City will offer food and live music starting at 7pm at the Seasongood Pavilion, with movies beginning at dusk.

  • June 25 – Ghostbusters with music by Robert Beckstedt & Susan Ferguson and food offered by Bowtie Burritos
  • July 23 – Grease with opening music by The Faux Frenchmen and food offered by Urban Grill Food Truck
  • August 14 – Mrs. Doubtfire with opening music by Sound Body Jazz Orchestra and food offered by Andy’s Mediterranean Grille

Colerain Township

Sizzling Summer Entertainment Series will include kids karaoke at 8:30pm and FREE family movies at the Colerain Park Ampitheater at dusk.

  • June 26 – Paddington
  • July 10 – The Boxtrolls
  • July 24 – Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast
  • August 14 – Big Hero 6
  • August 28  – Cinderella (2015)

Boone County

Parks and Recreation offers plenty of family fun with pre-show entertainment, a bounce house and slide at 7pm, with movies beginning at dusk. Locations vary.

  • June 3 – Hook at Stringtown Park
  • June 10 – Kung Fu Panda 3 in Union
  • June 17 – Ant Man in Union
  • June 24 – Jurassic World at Boone Woods
  • July 8 – Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip in Boone Woods
  • July 15 – Good Dinosaur at Boone Woods
  • July 16 – Minions in Walton
  • July 22 – Inside Out at Boone Woods
  • July 29 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens at Boone Woods
  • August 5 – Norm of the North at Boone Woods
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Tara Limoco
Cincinnati has been my home since graduating from college, and thanks to all the friends I have made here, I am happy to now call it home. I am Mom to three teenagers so life is never boring at our house. While we homeschooled for several years, we are slowly aging out of that adventure and into the new territory of dating, driving, college applications and who knows what next! When my mom hat isn't on, I squeeze in a few of my other loves–exploring our city, crafting, reading, kayaking, hiking, gardening, traveling, and teaching people to take good care of their skin through my Mary Kay business. Oh, and of course writing!

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