Summer Nights at the Movies – Open Air Cinema at The Zeughaus

Since seeing Alfonso Cuaron's masterpiece Y Tu Mama Tambien at Sydney harbour (with the Opera House and Harbour bridge in view) on my first night in Australia around twenty five years ago, I've always loved the experience of watching movies under the stars. 

So, in the sixteen summers I've spent in Innsbruck, I've been along to the Zeughaus for the annual Open Air Cinema several times. 

The Zeughaus, close to the centre of the city, is the name of the old Armoury which emporer Maximilian I had built between 1500 and 1505 as a storehouse for weapons. It served this purpose until 1918 when it was left abandoned after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The building was restored in the 1960s and opened in 1973 as the Tyrolean State History Museum.

It's now a branch of the Tiroler Landesmuseum, and it's well worth a visit at any time but in the summer months the atmospheric courtyard also hosts special events. For example, in 2019, I saw my wife's choir perform a concert to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Maximilian I's death.

For 31 years now, the courtyard has been turned into a cinema for the month of August. And a fabulous location to see films at it is too. 

As the films begin quite late to allow the sky to go dark (at the start of the month 21:30, earlier towards the end) not many child-friendly films are on the programme. But this year, the pick for opening night was Mel Brooks' Star Wars parody Spaceballs - a movie I remember loving as a kid. So I decided it was time to take my 13 year old son along for his first Open Air Cinema experience. 

We had a blast. Even entering the courtyard was an experience, as he was impressed to walk right underneath the giant screen after we'd bought our tickets!

It turned out we weren't the only parent/child combos who had the idea as he bumped into an old friend from primary school who he hadn't seen for a couple of years as we were searching for a good spot to sit in.

We arrived about half an hour before the film was due to start but this ensured we got good seats and had plenty of time for refreshments. Note: It's cash only for tickets and at the bar, so make sure you visit an ATM before you go in. At the weekends, there are musical acts to entertain the gathering crowd. 

Unlike opening night last year (The Day Iceland Stood Still, which I went to see with my mother-in-law) when raincoats and umbrellas were in order, this year, thankfully, there was just the odd spot of rain. Not enough to require opening our umbrellas up, which we'd brought along, just in case. 

As for the film itself, my son laughed so hard, there were several points when I thought he was going to fall off his seat.

Talking of which...

As the seating is temporary and packed up after every film, the lightweight plastic chairs are not the most comfortable. My advice is to take a cushion or blanket along with you to sit on.

As the sky darkens, the drama of the location and sense of atmosphere increases. Being part of a large, laughing crowd is like balm for the soul and I recommend it to everyone.

It was a hugely enjoyable evening that prompted me to scour the programme to see what else might be good to take my son to this year. I'm thinking Rental Family or The Phoenician Scheme on August 17th perhaps...

For more information (start times, how to buy tickets in advance etc) visit the website here.

Films are usually shown in their original language, with German subtitles (except for films in German!)

Happy viewing!