Multiplexes may draw most moviegoers this holiday weekend, but savvy popcorn munchers know there's more to the magic of watching a good film than stadium seating and fancy drink holders. And while many of the USA's historic movie palaces already have fallen to wrecking balls, hundreds more still are entrancing audiences. Ross Melnick and Patrick Crowley, founders of the Web site Cinema Treasures (www.cinematreasures.org), lead USA TODAY's Laura Bly behind the velvet curtains to some of their favorites:

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Senator is "one of the country's most beloved movie houses and a favorite of Baltimore-based filmmakers Barry Levinson and John Waters, who has even cast the theater in his movies. Owner Tom Kiefaber has successfully fought to keep this circa 1939 art deco treasure alive, despite tremendous competition from local multiplexes. The magic of the movies permeates the entire building, from the beautiful interiors to the state-of-the-art projection and sound equipment."

Baltimore: The Senator is a beloved 900-seat house and a favorite of John Waters and Barry Levinson. Brookline, Mass.: The Coolidge Corner Theatre, built in 1933, is the last operating art deco movie palace in the Boston area.