Summer is right around the corner, and with its arrival comes a host of free and cheap movie showings for kids! There are plenty of these around the Triangle, so if you’re looking for an affordable way to have fun (and beat that summer heat) check out these options.
Free Wednesday Morning Movies – Halle Cultural Arts Center (Apex)
On select Wednesdays, kids and families can attend free movies showing on the big screen. Doors open at 9:30am and the movies start at 10:00am with no previews. Bring the kids, snacks, blankets, etc. and come on down.
- May 20
- June 17
- July 15
- Aug 19
Downtown Cary 2026 Movie Night Series
It’s no secret that Downtown Cary Park is a hub for fun family events. Did you know they offer a free outdoor movie series during the spring, summer, and fall? These movies are something the whole family will enjoy! Check out the titles for the coming months:
- The Princess and the Frog — April 10
- Wicked: For Good — May 22
- Back to the Future — June 5
- Independence Day — July 3
- Finding Nemo — July 17
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl — August 7
- How to Train Your Dragon — August 15
- Hamilton — September 4
- Frankenweenie — October 2
- Halloween Double Feature — October 24
These movies are always held on Friday evenings (with the exception of a movie Thursday July 3rd) and include themed pre-show crafts and activities. Don’t miss it!
Free Family Movies – Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Marquee Cinemas Wakefield 12 (Raleigh)
Here’s an awesome option for FREE kids movies this summer! Beginning June 16th, on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 9:30am and 9:45am, the Wakefield 12 theatre in Raleigh offers a selection of TWO free movies to choose from. What a perfect way to enjoy an exciting movie on the big screen! This year’s choices can be seen below:
Summer Movie Clubhouse – Cinemark Bistro (Raleigh)
Cinemark offers 10 weeks of summer movies at select locations. In the Triangle, that’s the Cinemark Bistro Raleigh. For just $1.75 (plus tax) per ticket, movies are shown on Wednesdays and Thursdays, June 3 through August 6.
In Raleigh, most start times are 10:00am but appear to vary with each film so double check before heading out.
- Paddington — June 1–4
- Sonic the Hedgehog — June 8–11
- KPop Demon Hunters — June 15–18
- Shrek Forever After — June 22–25
- The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants — June 29–July 2
- A Minecraft Movie — July 6–9
- Dog Man — July 13–16
- How to Train Your Dragon — July 20–23
- The Bad Guys 2 — July 27–30
- Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie — August 3–6
Alamo Kids Camp – Alamo Drafthouse (Raleigh)
The Alamo Drafthouse in Raleigh will be offering $5 movie tickets as part of Alamo Kids Camp. Showings include animated classics, recent family faves, and beloved films all screening for just $5 a ticket. Best of all, proceeds from Alamo Kids Camp all go to charities that support kids in need.
Times and days of the week vary widely so check the link above for the details!
2026 Schedule
- Matilda – 6/5, 6/8, and 6/10
- KPOP Demon Hunters 6/15, 6/16, 6/17, 6/18
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio – 6/26, 6/29, 6/30, 7/1
- Flow – 7/17, 7/20, 7/21, 7/22
- Arco – 7/24, 7/27, 7/28
- Paddington 2 – 83, 8/4, 8/5
- Marcel the Shell with Shoes On – 8/7
- Where is the Friend’s House – 8/21
Baby Day at Alamo Drafthouse (Raleigh)
While this isn’t exactly a movie for kids situation, it deserves a mention on this list as a unique offering for families. On Tuesdays before 2pm, adults can watch “a grown-up movie in a baby-friendly environment.” This is a great way to head to the movies if you have kiddos 2 & under. Those ages are free (as long as they can sit on a lap). Older kids are not free, but the movies aren’t necessarily kid friendly, so use your judgement, parents.
More Info
Regal Summer Movie Express – Regal Cinemas (Raleigh & Garner)
Regal Cinema’s offers one of the best deals for cheap summer kids movies. For just $1, you can grab tickets for Monday through Thursday at 11:00am. Summer movies for 2026 run June 1st through August 13th
At the time of publishing this article, participating theatres in our area include:
- Regal White Oak – 1205 Timber Dr E. Garner, NC
- Regal Brier Creek – 8611 Brier Creek Pkwy Raleigh, NC
- Regal Crossroads Cary – 501 Caitboo Avenue Cary, NC
Movies:
6/1-6/4: Sing & Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
6/8-6/11: Kung Fu Panda 4 & David
6/15-6/18: KPop Demon Hunters & The Wild Robot
6/22-6/25: The Bad Guys 2 & The Garfield Movie
6/29-7/2: A Minecraft Movie & Sonic the Hedgehog 2
7/6-7/9: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & How to Train Your Dragon
7/13-7/16: Scoob!
7/20-23: Animal Farm and The SpongeBob Movie:
Search for SquarePants
7/27-7/30: Dog Man & Paddington in Peru
8/3-8/6: Charlie the Wonder Dog & Despicable Me 4
8/10-8/13: The Sandlot & Muppet Treasure Island
AMC’s Summer Movie Camp for Kids (Morrisville & Durham)
Two AMC theatres appear to be participating in the Summer Movie Camp for Kids: AMC Park Place 16 on Chapel Hill Road in Morrisville, and AMC Southpoint 17 in Durham. Movies are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays, with showings at 11:00am and 2:00pm. Tickets are $3. Check the website for the most accurate schedule!
June 22nd & 24th: Paddington in Peru
June 29th & July 1st: David
July 6th & 8th: How to Train Your Dragon
July 13th & 15th: The Lego Movie
July 20th & 22nd: Sonic the Hedgehog 3
July 27th & 29th: The Bad Guys 2
August 3rd & 5th: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
August 10th & 12th: Muppet Treasure Island
Rhythm & Reels – Outdoor music & movies (Apex)
On select Saturday evenings this summer you can head over to the Apex Nature Park Amphitheatre for a night of music and movies under the stars. Bring your family and friends, pack a picnic basket, and come enjoy a memorable, magical summer evening!
Events are held at the Apex Nature Park Amphitheatre (2600 Evans Road.) Load up the kids, lawn chairs, blankets, a picnic dinner and show up early for good seats! No Pets or Alcohol allowed.
June 13 – “Freakier Friday”
August 8 – “The Bad Guys 2”
August 22 – “Mario Galaxy”
Family Movie Nights at Joyner Park (Wake Forest)
Once per month during the summer months, Joyner Park hosts a family movie night. This year, the schedule is as follows:
- May 16 – Shrek
- June 13 – Zootopia 2
- July 18 – Mufasa: The Lion King
- August 1 – Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Movies begin at 8:30pm with some pre-show movie-related activities beginning at 7:30pm.
B&B Theatres Kids Summer Series – Morrisville Park West 14 (Morrisville)
Family-friendly films are shown Tuesdays through Thursdays at select B&B Theatres. The Morrisville Park West 14 is our local participating cinema. Check out the schedule of movies below:
Showings are generally at 10:00am and 12:30 pm and pricing is $5, or $3 for Backstage Pass Members. More information can be found here.
Triangle Cinemas 2026 Summer Kid Series
Triangle Cinemas presents FREE Kids Movies for 10 weeks this summer! Check out the schedule here. Movies start at 10am and run either Tuesday – Friday or Wednesday through Friday. Get more info here.
First Friday Market & Movie Night – Downtown Raleigh
Throughout the summer, check out this fun event that combines a free family-friendly movie with food trucks, activities, games, music, and more! These events happen through the summer and into the early autumn.
This event is held in Moore Square in Downtown Raleigh.
This event is presented by Get2KnowRaleigh in partnership with Raleigh Park’s Moore Square team.
Schedule:
- June 5th: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- July 3rd: Hamilton
- August 7th: Zootopia 2
- September 4th: Remember the Titans
- October 2nd: Ghostbusters
- November 6th: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Kids Summer Movie Camp – The Lumina, Chapel Hill
On Tuesdays at 10:00am throughout the summer, you can enjoy $3 movies that kids will love. This is Kids Summer Movie Camp, held at The Lumina in Chapel Hill, located in Southern Village.
Here’s the summer 2026 schedule:
- June 23: Paddington in Peru
- June 30: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
- July 7: Hotel Transylvania 2
- July 14: The Angry Birds Movie
- July 21: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
- July 28: HOP
- August 4: Migration
- August 11: Sing 2
- August 18: the Secret Life of Pets
- August 25: Despicable Me
Movies on the Green – Southern Village Green, Chapel Hill
This outdoor movie series is presented by Lumina & Boer Brothers Heating & Cooling. Southern Village is a beautiful spot and is great for an evening film!
Tickets for Movies on the Green are $5 per person. It’s also important to note, while the movies included are generally family-friendly, certain titles may be better for older audiences.
Movies take place every Saturday night from May 23rd-September 5th.
The Schedule:
- May 23: Back to the Future
- May 30: Night at the Museum
- June 6: A League of their own
- June 13: The Sandlot
- June 20: The Iron Giant
- June 27: Monsters Inc.
- No Movie July 4th
- July 11: The Goonies
- July 18: School of Rock
- July 25: the Wizard of OZ
- August 1: Grease
- August 8: The Karate Kid
- August 15: Hook
- August 22: Mama Mia!
- August 29: Beetlejuice
- September 5: The Princess Bride
The Cary Theater – Cary
Escape the heat with the Summer Family Series at The Cary Theater in Downtown Cary. These movie showings are only $4 and are all throwback films from the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Check out the schedule below.
All showings are happening Sundays at 12 noon.
June 7th: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
June 14th: The Wiz
June 21st: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
June 28th: The Parent Trap
July 5th: Flight of the Navigator
July 12th: The Cat from Outer Space
July 19th: Explorers
July 26th: Short Circuit
August 2nd: The Land Before Time
August 9th: Mac and Me
August 16th: Harry and the Hendersons
“Flashback Flicks” Outdoor Movie Series @ the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club – Durham
You’re invited to Flashback Flicks, the free outdoor movie series kicking off Wednesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. at Terrace on the Green with Guardians of the Galaxy.
Each Wednesday in June, guests can enjoy feel-good films that celebrate college life, from friendship and fun to big dreams and underdog wins.
🎬 Upcoming Lineup:
- June 2: Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13)
- June 9: WALL-E (G)
- June 16: E.T. (PG)
- June 23: Galaxy Quest (PG)
- June 30: Apollo 13 (PG)
Relax under the stars with complimentary popcorn or order from the Bull Durham Bar menu. Admission is free; outside food and drinks are not allowed.