Entry No. 21 — the Portland file — filed under: midnight movie
Clinton Street Theater — Rocky Horror at 11pm
A 200-seat theater that's been throwing toast and shouting call-backs at The Rocky Horror Picture Show nearly every Saturday at 11pm since 1978, making it one of the longest continuously running Rocky Horror screenings in the world — now run by a six-person owner collective who kept the tradition going.
The story
Since 1978, this 200-seat single-screen auditorium in SE Portland has locked down a world record: hosting the longest continuously running screening of any single film, anywhere. Every Saturday night at 11pm, *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* hits the projection screen, accompanied by decades of accumulated callbacks, airborne toast, and theatrical chaos.
When the theater faced uncertainty, a six-person owner collective stepped in to buy the venue and preserve its midnight-movie bloodline. The show relies on the Clinton Street Cabaret—a dedicated local shadow cast that dresses in character and acts out every scene live directly in front of the screen, specifically anchoring the 1st and 3rd Saturday shows of each month.
You aren't here for high-fidelity audio or pristine velvet seats. You are stepping into a surviving pocket of 1970s counterculture that refuses to die, run by locals who still believe throwing toilet paper in a dark room with strangers is a vital civic duty.
What it's like
Show up on SE Clinton Street well before 11pm on Saturday and you'll find a line of regulars in corsets and fishnets mixed with nervous first-timers. Grab a prop kit at the door if you didn't bring your own supplies, sit anywhere you can find a spot, and don't expect quiet—the audience screams back at the screen continuously while the shadow cast performs beneath the projector light.
The move: Get there before 11pm on a Saturday for the Clinton Street Cabaret's shadow-cast Rocky Horror screening (props kit recommended), then hit a late-night diner on nearby Division.
- 📍 Division/Clinton, SE Portland
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2522 SE Clinton Street, Portland, OR 97202
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Scotch Lodge — Pair a rowdy 11pm movie screening with a late drink inside this windowless whisky den tucked behind an unmarked, barred door.
- Lone Fir Cemetery — Block 14 — Explore the shadowy, unmarked history of Block 14 earlier in the day before heading to Clinton Street for midnight theater chaos.
- Past Lives Makerspace — "Forge a Date!" — Spend the afternoon bending hot steel together in a 26,000-square-foot warehouse before heading over to Division for dinner and late-night cinema.
Good to know
Do people dress up for the 11pm screening?
Yes. While street clothes are totally fine, a visible portion of the audience shows up in full character costume or glam drag.
What is the Clinton Street Cabaret?
It is Portland's long-running shadow cast that performs the movie live on stage in sync with the screen, officially performing on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.
Do I need to bring my own props?
You can, but buying a prop kit directly from the venue guarantees you have approved items that won't violate theater rules.
How long has this screening been happening?
The venue has screened Rocky Horror nearly every week since 1978.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: cstpdx.com · Wikipedia · pdxmonthly.com · Instagram · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-20