Built by the grandfather of former Czech president Vaclav Havel, the cinema has held a central place in Czech exhibition history. It presented the first film with sound screened in Czechoslovakia, and was the first cinema to be returned to private ownership, after years of being run by the communist state.

It is one of the oldest continously operating cinemas in Europe, and still hosts important Czech premieres. The Lucerna Cinema now features a largely art house and European line up of films.