[2] The exterior features a Mission Revival steeple that ends in an art deco finial, a red tiled roof, and a covered courtyard with a fountain and free-standing ticket booth.

The lobby ceilings are heavily beamed and painted, and the auditorium, which seats 2,018 on its main floor and balcony, is designed to give theatergoers the impression that they are sitting in a colonial Spanish town's outdoor plaza.

To create this effect, each auditorium wall features built out houses, staircases, and balconies, and the ceiling is designed to evoke the dark sky and stars.

The theater's original proscenium was formed by what appeared to be a large stone arc, through which could be seen a river and hills painted on the curtain.

One of the Arlington's signature features is its Robert Morton pipe organ, originally from Loew's Jersey Theatre and installed in 1949.