Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Rental revenue	$ 58,283	$ 55,382
Tenant reimbursements	4,822	4,661
Other income	25	24
Mortgage and other financing income	14,741	13,551
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total revenue	77,871	73,618
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	6,174	6,166
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	542	493
General and administrative expense	6,467	5,468
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff	0	6,163
Interest expense, net	18,141	18,824
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	158	1,273
Impairment charges	12,042	0
Depreciation and amortization	12,457	11,871
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	21,890	23,360
Equity in income (loss) from joint ventures	47	774
Income from continuing operations	21,937	24,134
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable		0
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(28)	1,331
Impairment charges	(801)	(1,800)
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff	0	(225)
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	282	18,293
Net income	21,390	41,733
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(18)	(2)
Net income attributable to Entertainment Properties Trust	21,372	41,731
Preferred dividend requirements	(6,001)	(7,552)
Net income available to common shareholders of Entertainment Properties Trust	15,371	34,179
Comprehensive income	298	5,748
Entertainment Properties Trust (Issuer) [Member]
Rental revenue	0	0
Tenant reimbursements	0	0
Other income	23	23
Mortgage and other financing income	95	81
Intercompany fee income	676	685
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	4,215	4,118
Total revenue	5,009	4,907
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	23,450	38,616
Property operating expense	0	0
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	0	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Interest expense, net	6,722	5,101
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	158	949
Impairment charges	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	256	267
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	21,323	37,206
Equity in income (loss) from joint ventures	49	770
Income from continuing operations	21,372	37,976
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable		3,755
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	0
Net income	21,372	41,731
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Entertainment Properties Trust	21,372	41,731
Preferred dividend requirements	(6,001)	(7,552)
Net income available to common shareholders of Entertainment Properties Trust	15,371	34,179
Comprehensive income	298	5,748
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Rental revenue	21,975	19,696
Tenant reimbursements	246	342
Other income	1	0
Mortgage and other financing income	13,975	13,241
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total revenue	36,197	33,279
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	997	964
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	2,978	2,384
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Interest expense, net	918	2,475
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	4,058	3,479
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	27,246	23,977
Equity in income (loss) from joint ventures	0	0
Income from continuing operations	27,246	23,977
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable		0
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable		(3,755)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	6	1,785
Impairment charges	0	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	282	18,293
Net income	27,534	40,300
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Entertainment Properties Trust	27,534	40,300
Preferred dividend requirements	0	0
Net income available to common shareholders of Entertainment Properties Trust	27,534	40,300
Comprehensive income	(55)	4,909
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Rental revenue	36,308	35,686
Tenant reimbursements	4,576	4,319
Other income	1	1
Mortgage and other financing income	671	229
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	85	591
Total revenue	41,641	40,826
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	5,177	5,202
Intercompany fee expense	676	685
Other expense	542	493
General and administrative expense	3,489	3,084
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		6,163
Interest expense, net	10,501	11,248
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	4,300	4,709
Transaction costs	0	324
Impairment charges	12,042	0
Depreciation and amortization	8,143	8,125
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	(3,229)	793
Equity in income (loss) from joint ventures	(2)	4
Income from continuing operations	(3,231)	797
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable		0
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable		0
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(34)	(454)
Impairment charges	(801)	(1,800)
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		(225)
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	0
Net income	(4,066)	(1,682)
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(18)	(2)
Net income attributable to Entertainment Properties Trust	(4,084)	(1,684)
Preferred dividend requirements	0	0
Net income available to common shareholders of Entertainment Properties Trust	(4,084)	(1,684)
Comprehensive income	1,347	839
Consolidated Elimination [Member]
Rental revenue	0	0
Tenant reimbursements	0	0
Other income	0	0
Mortgage and other financing income	0	0
Intercompany fee income	(676)	(685)
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	(4,300)	(4,709)
Total revenue	(4,976)	(5,394)
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	(23,450)	(38,616)
Property operating expense	0	0
Intercompany fee expense	(676)	(685)
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	0	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Interest expense, net	0	0
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	(4,300)	(4,709)
Transaction costs	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	(23,450)	(38,616)
Equity in income (loss) from joint ventures	0	0
Income from continuing operations	(23,450)	(38,616)
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable		(3,755)
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable		3,755
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Impairment charges	0	0
Costs associated with loan refinancing or payoff		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	0
Net income	(23,450)	(38,616)
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income attributable to Entertainment Properties Trust	(23,450)	(38,616)
Preferred dividend requirements	0	0
Net income available to common shareholders of Entertainment Properties Trust	(23,450)	(38,616)
Comprehensive income	$ (1,292)	$ (5,748)