Austin's Paramount Theatre Is Closed Until 2027 — and Congress Avenue Lost a Lane

The Paramount Theatre at 713 Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas has been dark since Monday, June 15, 2026, for the first full restoration the building has had in about 50 years. According to ATX Things analysis of City of Austin permit records, the work is running under an active commercial remodel permit covering 26,075 square feet. The theatre says the job takes roughly 11 months, which puts the reopening in 2027.

That is the part most people have heard. Here is the part that catches locals off guard: a lane of Congress Avenue went with it, the bike lane on that block is gone, and every one of the 90-plus summer movies people still buy tickets for is now playing somewhere else.

What actually changed on Congress Avenue?

On June 20, the alley behind the theatre closed and street closures began along Congress Avenue between 7th and 8th Street, according to the theatre's own restoration log. The closure takes out the loading zone, the bike lane, and one lane of traffic on that block. A contractor access lane and a covered, protected pedestrian walkway stay open for the duration.

If you ride Congress downtown, that is the detail worth knowing — the bike lane does not resume until you clear 8th. If you drive it, you are merging for one block in the middle of downtown's busiest avenue. And if you were counting on pulling up out front to drop someone off for a show, the loading zone is not there anymore.

Five days after the road work started, the theatre logged the building as an active construction zone: access restricted, prior authorization required for anyone entering. Nobody is wandering into the lobby for a look.

What do the city permits show?

This is where the paper trail gets specific. Two permits are open on the building in the city's records:

Both describe the same scope — "Interior Remodel to Existing Theater (26,075 SF)" — in Council District 9. The building permit was issued on June 5, ten days before the last audience walked out. The electrical permit followed a month later, which tracks with a job that had to gut and rewire before it could rebuild.

The contractor name checks out independently: when the theatre posted its seat-removal update, it co-published the post with JE Dunn Construction's own account. The permit and the theatre's own feed agree on who is doing the work.

What is actually being torn out inside?

All 1,200 seats came out starting July 2. The theatre says the historic cast-iron end caps were removed carefully and will be restored and returned to the building; seat material that cannot be reused is being recycled. What is left right now is a bare raked floor and the bolt holes.

The seats were not a sentimental loss. "It's the number one complaint and with good reason," Austin Theatre Alliance CEO Jim Ritts told KXAN in a June 15, 2026 report. The replacements are custom-designed to stay period-appropriate, with added aisle lighting and a reconfiguration meant to improve ADA access.

Upstairs, crews pulled the temporary walls off the third floor in July. That space is becoming JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Lounge, funded by a gift from John Paul and Eloise DeJoria. The detail that makes it a good story: the Paramount's 1915 blueprints already included a third-floor guest lounge. It was cut for budget at the time and never built. They are finishing a 111-year-old drawing.

Where did the Summer Classic Film Series move?

The series is still running — through August 31, more than 90 films — just not at the Paramount. Screenings moved next door to the State Theatre at 719 Congress Avenue and up the street to the Bullock Museum IMAX at 1800 Congress Avenue.

What is left this week, checked against the box office on August 3:

Tomorrow's Blade Runner is the one to know about: the IMAX screening is sold out with no walk-up seating, so if you were planning to turn up at 1800 Congress and buy at the door, do not. Blade Runner comes back to IMAX on Monday, August 17. Doors run one hour before showtime at every screening on this list.

Tickets are $15 general admission, which includes a $3 preservation fee. Kids 12 and under are $9 at Family Series screenings, Film Fan Club members pay $11, and a FLIX-TIX ten-pack is $90 ($75 for members). One ticket covers both halves of a double feature.

When does the Paramount reopen, and what happens to the State?

Here the theatre's own numbers have moved, and it is worth being precise about it. The November 19, 2025 press release announcing the campaign said the Paramount would close in June 2026 and the project was "anticipated to take 8-9 months." By the time the doors actually shut this June, the theatre was telling its audience "over the next 11 months." Eleven months from June 15, 2026 lands in May 2027.

The money moved too. The Shine On campaign launched with a $65 million goal — $55 million for construction, $10 million for an endowment — and $27 million already raised. As of June 2026 the theatre describes the goal as $66 million and says it is about halfway there.

Then the State takes its turn. The 1935 State Theatre, currently around 300 seats, is getting a full interior reimagining: telescopic seating for 435, or up to 500 standing, plus a basement speakeasy, a rooftop deck, and four concession areas. That work is projected at 13 to 16 months and is expected to begin after the Paramount is finished. A start date has not been set.

Do the arithmetic and downtown Austin is looking at a stretch where its two oldest theatres are offline back to back. The Paramount comes back first; the State goes dark after it.

What locals should know

Heat note, since this is an evening-outing story: Austin hit 101°F on Monday and the forecast runs near or above 100° most of this week. The walk from the 600 Congress garage is a block, but it is a block of downtown pavement — the 7:30 PM screenings are the merciful ones.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Paramount Theatre permanently closed? No. It closed on June 15, 2026 for a restoration the Austin Theatre Alliance says will take about 11 months, which points to a 2027 reopening. The building is under an active city remodel permit with JE Dunn Construction as contractor.

Can I still see the Summer Classic Film Series? Yes. It runs through August 31, 2026 with more than 90 films, playing at the State Theatre at 719 Congress Avenue and the Bullock Museum IMAX instead of the Paramount. Tickets are $15 general admission.

Is Congress Avenue actually closed? Not the whole street. One traffic lane, the bike lane, and the loading zone are closed on the block between 7th and 8th, along with the alley behind the theatre. Traffic still moves through and the sidewalk stays open via a covered walkway.

What is changing inside the Paramount? All 1,200 seats are being replaced with custom period-appropriate seating, the historic paint and plasterwork is being restored, wiring and sound and lighting are being modernized, ADA access is being improved, and a third-floor lounge from the theatre's unbuilt 1915 plans is finally being constructed.

What about the State Theatre? The State gets its own 13-to-16-month reimagining after the Paramount reopens — telescopic seating for 435 (up to 500 standing), a basement speakeasy, a rooftop deck and expanded concessions. No start date has been announced.

Congress Avenue keeps giving this city things to watch: we covered the bat colony under the Congress Avenue bridge and the Austin History Center's $14.5M Faulk Building reopening, another downtown restoration finishing what an older generation started. This weekend's film picks were in our August 1 weekend roundup, and there is more in our guide to things to do in Austin.

We are watching the permit file for the State Theatre's own remodel filing — that is the signal that the second closure is actually starting. Follow @austintexasthings and we will tell you when it lands.