Find All The Baby and Child-Friendly Cinemas in Sydney Here!
Hooray for Sydney’s fabulous mum and bubs cinema screenings! Actually, we must not be sexist, hooray for all the cinemas that work well for BOTH parents of babies and toddlers!
What is it about giving birth that suddenly makes mums and dads stop loving going to the movies?
Nothing, is the answer!
I was at the movies when I was in labour with my first son, turning up the TENS machine scene by scene. I was just as keen to see movies after he popped out as I had been before.
In Sydney, you’ll find baby-friendly cinemas with special rooms just for babies and toddlers, plus screenings for families, where babies and toddlers are welcome. The screenings are not held in school holidays sadly, but the ‘baby crying rooms’ are available all through the year.
How To Go To The Movies With A Baby or Toddler
Tiny babies often behave very well in cinemas, sleeping a lot and feeding the rest of the time; they often do really well if you have them in a baby carrier, sling or wrap (check some good ones out here).
But as babies grow bigger they don’t always comply with accepted adult cinema etiquette. Other cinema-goers are not very impressed when a baby starts to squawk and splutter, or even screech and shriek.
When they get a bit older, babies want to sit up and watch the screen and pass their own comments on the action.
The special baby movie sessions and the cinemas with ‘baby crying rooms’ are the ideal places to frequent to see movies with babies.
A ‘baby crying room’ is not the most descriptive term since most babies are very happy in these sound-proof rooms set at the back of a mums and bubs cinema.
The rooms have huge windows and up to 10 seats. Some mums and bubs baby crying rooms have other amenities for babies such as bouncers and change tables.
Roseville Cinema Baby Crying Room
Roseville is a really charismatic, old-fashioned picture house. It’s a family-owned and operated independent cinema, quite a breath of fresh air.
I’m terribly fond of it for its olde worlde features and its great choice of art-house movies.
This was the first cinema with a ‘baby crying room’ that we ever tried… long ago now, but still remembered!
Roseville Cinema by night, always a welcome sight.
Roseville Cinema
112 Pacific Highway, Roseville 2069
Phone: 9416 8555
Website: www.rosevillecinemas.com
Times: Baby crying room in both cinemas
Both screens of the Roseville cinema have separate ‘baby crying rooms’ inside the cinema. This is a glassed-in area, suitable for families with babies and young children.
Both have six seats. There are volume, air conditioner and light dimmer controls in the rooms. No bookings are taken for the rooms, so it is a first-come-first-served scenario and the cinema advises arriving at least 15 minutes early.
Prams cannot go into the rooms but car seats and bouncers can. A bouncer and a change table is placed in each room.
Parents can take partners and friends into the crying rooms, but if another parent and child need the seat the companions will be asked to sit in the main part of the cinema.
Parking: Street parking on Pacific Highway and side streets
Nearest station: Roseville is a short walk away
Bus stop nearby: Yes
Home-made choc tops at Roseville!
Richmond Regent Baby Crying Room
149 Windsor Street, Richmond 2753
Phone: 02 4578 1800
Website: www.richmondregent.com.au
Times: All screenings in Cinema One
The Spanish-style Art Deco exterior of this cinema is a delight, as is the baby-friendly interior. Cinema One has a ‘baby crying room’. The room has nine seats and babies usually sit on their parent’s knees.
There is no extra charge to use the room and bookings are not taken so early arrival is advised.
Parking: Street parking on Windsor Street
Nearest station: Richmond is a short walk away
Bus stop nearby: Yes
Thanks to John and Erica for permission to use their photo.
Warriewood Cinema Centre Baby Crying Room
4 Vuko Place
Warriewood 2102
Phone: 9913 2744
Warriewood website here
Times: All screenings in three of the cinemas
‘Baby crying rooms’ are found in three of the centre’s seven cinemas. Each has four seats. There are volume, air conditioner and light dimmer controls in the rooms.
Strollers can be left in front of the cinema. Many people bring their car seat or bouncer in for the baby to sit in.
The cinema’s website doesn’t have any information about the ‘baby crying rooms’ so it’s best to call ahead to check what movies you can see. It’s a very good idea to book ahead too. Just call the cinema to chat it all through.
Parking: Free carpark, entrance on Vuko Place
Bus stop nearby: Yes
PS Remember to let your babies know that they don’t HAVE to cry when you take them into the ‘baby crying rooms’!
Tell them, really you’d prefer if they snoozed, or watched the movie with you!
Parent + Baby-Friendly Cinema Screenings
Dendy Newtown Reel Bubs
Did you know that Dendy Newtown hosts Reel Bubs sessions each Thursday and Friday at 10am?
Low-level lights are on during the film, and sound levels are adjusted to suit babies, toddlers and their parents and carers.
Strollers must be left in the foyer. You are welcome to take a baby capsule into the cinema itself.
Some notes:
- free admission for kids under five years old
- REEL BUBS only runs during school terms
- Tickets are only $10
Book tickets online at www.dendy.com.au from the Tuesday prior to the session.
Dendy Newtown
261-263 King St, Newtown, NSW 2042
Dendy Newtown webpage here
Event Cinemas Bring Your Baby
The Bring Your Baby sessions are held at most Event Cinemas, usually on Mondays, Wednesday or Fridays. They are only held during school terms. Tickets cost $10 and children aged four and under are free.
Some of the cinemas even show Bring Your Baby screenings in Gold Class, now that would be a treat!
Check whether your local Event Cinema runs Bring Your baby sessions on the Event website here.
Hoyts Prams at the Pix
See Prams At The Pix webpage here
Check your local cinema on the main Hoyts page here.
Times: weekly on Wednesdays at Hoyts cinemas in Sydney except Chatswood Mandarin, except in school holidays.
Hoyts shows a great range of movement, with reduced ticket prices and under fives go free! The lights are dimmed and volume is slightly reduced.
Palace Babes in Arms
The Palace Norton Street and Palace Verona both run Babes in Arms sessions on Thursdays at 11am, with tickets costing $10.
Palace Central runs Babes in Arms on Wednesdays at 11am in the Platinum screen with luxurious reclining seats, in-cinema service and the Platinum menu. This costs $15.
NB These screenings are only held during school terms.
Children under three enter free at all locations.
Find the Babes in Arms webpage here.
Check the main Palace Cinemas website here.
Randwick Ritz BYO Baby
Times: Every Monday and Wednesday morning at 10am in school terms.
Check out what’s on on the Randwick Ritz webpage here.
BYO Baby is the name of the baby-friendly screening at the Randwick Ritz. The screening is held in the main cinema and is very popular.
The lights are left on very low and the movie’s sound level is slightly reduced, easier on those little ears.
Strollers are not usually taken into the cinema but can be left in the foyer. It is preferable to carry baby into the cinema or use a capsule.
The Randwick Ritz
45 St Paul Street
Randwick 2031
Phone: 9399 5722
Baby change: Change facilities in ladies toilet
Parking: Parking at Ezipark just alongside, ask for a voucher at the box office. Street parking on St Paul Street and side streets
Bus stop nearby: Yes
Reading Cinema Rhodes: Spit The Dummy
The Spit the Dummy session at Reading Cinema Rhodes is on every Wednesday morning. With dimmed lights, you can see what you (and the babies/kids) are doing. Entry is free for two children under five when with a paying adult. So you can enjoy your movie without worrying about the kids annoying other adults!
Reading Cinema Rhodes
Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre
1 Rider Boulevard
Rhodes 2138
Phone:9736 7900
Check the website here for movies coming up
Strollers can be left in the foyer of the cinema. Most people will bring a baby in a baby carrier, capsule or even bring a little bouncer to put on the floor.
Parking: Rhodes Waterside Shopping Centre has a large underground carpark. Reading Cinemas Rhodes’ ticket holders can enjoy FOUR HOURS of free parking seven days a week. What’s better, if you enter the carpark after 6pm, parking is unlimited and FREE!
Bus stop nearby: Yes – Route 458
Train: Rhodes Train Station is a 5-minute walk away
[Things do change… please do email me if you find a new baby cinema which is great for babies and young children. Likewise, if any of the details have changed don’t hesitate to contact me. Thank you!]
What Do Parents Say About Baby-Friendly Cinemas and Screenings
As is often the case in baby-related matters, some parents swear by the mums and bubs movies and crying rooms and others swear about them!
Here is a handful of comments from film-going parents and carers:
‘I wouldn’t advise anyone to go to see a film that requires much concentration. It’s not the way to see a Schindler’s List, there can be just too much commotion, but with light-hearted films it’s no problem.’
‘Sometimes you get a bit of a pram traffic jam, so I just walk her along in the sling. She likes to sit on my lap now, watching the screen sometimes and playing with her toys, blowing raspberries if she gets fed up.’
‘Baby crying rooms are great for parents; there’s more choice of films as they are available for every screening in cinemas that have them. They’re great for nights out as a couple—it’s a bonus if the baby does drop off and lets us watch in peace, but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t.’
‘You do get lots of screaming at the screenings, but that’s the beauty of it. No-one expects perfect peace and quiet, and no-one gets it!’
Do you visit mums and bubs movie screenings with your baby?
Any top tips for parents thinking of giving it a go?
Bring your baby and enjoy your movie!
