The Johnston Brief
Short version: Johnston doesn't have its own movie theater anymore. The AMC Classic Johnston 16 closed in late 2023, and nothing has replaced it in town. The good news is that Johnston sits right on the edge of the metro, so a handful of good theaters, one of them a dine-in cinema-brewery, are only a short drive away. Here's where to go.
There's no operating movie theater inside Johnston as of 2026, the AMC Classic Johnston 16 closed in late 2023. The closest theater is Flix Brewhouse at Merle Hay Mall (3800 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines), a dine-in cinema with its own brewery, a straight shot south down Merle Hay Road. Other nearby picks: the Palms IMAX in Waukee, the historic Varsity Cinema in Des Moines, and B&B Ankeny 12.
We'd rather tell you the truth than send you to a closed building. The AMC Classic Johnston 16 at 5233 NW 86th Street ran for years as the town's multiplex (under a couple of names) before it closed in late 2023. As of 2026 there's no cinema operating within Johnston, so every option below is a nearby metro theater, all a short drive.
For most of Johnston, the nearest theater is Flix Brewhouse inside Merle Hay Mall, a straight drive south down Merle Hay Road. It's a dine-in cinema, servers bring food and drinks right to your recliner, and it's built around a working microbrewery, so you can catch a first-run movie and a fresh pint in one stop. That combination makes it the easy default for a Johnston movie night.
If you want more than a standard screen: the Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee is the metro's destination for a true big-format IMAX show. The Varsity Cinema in Des Moines is the historic art-house pick for indie and classic films. And B&B Ankeny 12 over in Ankeny bundles movies with bowling, an arcade and a full restaurant and bar under one roof, a good rainy-day plan with kids. Confirm showtimes on each theater's own site before you go.
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Not currently. Johnston's own cinema, the AMC Classic Johnston 16, closed in late 2023, so there is no operating movie theater inside Johnston as of 2026. The good news is that several metro theaters are only a short drive away, the closest being Flix Brewhouse at Merle Hay Mall, just south of Johnston down Merle Hay Road.
The closest movie theater to Johnston is generally Flix Brewhouse at Merle Hay Mall (3800 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines), a dine-in cinema with its own microbrewery, a straight shot south down Merle Hay Road. Other nearby options include the Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee, the historic Varsity Cinema in Des Moines, and B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 & B-Roll Bowling in Ankeny.
The Palms Theatres & IMAX in Waukee (200 NE Westgate Dr) is the go-to IMAX near Johnston, known for its large-format IMAX screen and laser projection. It is a longer drive than Flix Brewhouse but is the metro's main destination for a big-screen IMAX experience.
The AMC Classic Johnston 16, at 5233 NW 86th Street, closed in late 2023. It had operated for years under several names as Johnston's local multiplex. Since it closed, Johnston moviegoers head to nearby metro theaters instead, with Flix Brewhouse at Merle Hay Mall the closest.
Yes. Flix Brewhouse at Merle Hay Mall is a dine-in cinema where servers bring food and drinks to your seat, and it brews its own beer on site. It is the closest theater to Johnston. B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 in Ankeny also pairs movies with a full restaurant, bar, bowling and an arcade.
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