Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Income) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Rental revenue	$ 60,787	$ 57,258
Tenant reimbursements	4,744	4,822
Other income	24	25
Mortgage and other financing income	17,795	14,674
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total revenue	83,350	76,779
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	7,005	6,374
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	194	350
General and administrative expense	6,652	6,467
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	(4,539)	0
Interest expense, net	19,989	18,141
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	318	158
Non-cash impairment charges	0	3,998
Depreciation and amortization	13,438	11,740
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	40,293	29,551
Equity in income from joint ventures	351	47
Income from continuing operations	40,644	29,598
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(3)	355
Impairment of Real Estate	0	(8,845)
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	565	282
Net income	41,206	21,390
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent	41,206	21,372
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(18)
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	35,254	15,371
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	40,698	21,670
Dividends, Preferred Stock	(5,952)	(6,001)
Entertainment Properties Trust (Issuer) [Member]
Rental revenue	0	0
Tenant reimbursements	0	0
Other income	23	23
Mortgage and other financing income	252	95
Intercompany fee income	668	676
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	4,264	4,215
Total revenue	5,207	5,009
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	48,333	23,450
Property operating expense	0	0
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0
Interest expense, net	11,927	6,722
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	318	158
Non-cash impairment charges		0
Depreciation and amortization	272	256
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	41,023	21,323
Equity in income from joint ventures	183	49
Income from continuing operations	41,206	21,372
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Impairment of Real Estate		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	0
Net income	41,206	21,372
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		21,372
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	35,254	15,371
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	40,698	21,670
Dividends, Preferred Stock	(5,952)	(6,001)
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Rental revenue	36,383	32,832
Tenant reimbursements	537	284
Other income	0	1
Mortgage and other financing income	16,453	13,975
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	0	0
Total revenue	53,373	47,092
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	2,226	1,063
Intercompany fee expense	0	0
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	4,221	3,936
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	(4,539)
Interest expense, net	952	3,997
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	0	0
Transaction costs	0	0
Non-cash impairment charges		0
Depreciation and amortization	7,108	5,877
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	43,405	32,219
Equity in income from joint ventures	0	0
Income from continuing operations	43,405	32,219
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	(21)	7
Impairment of Real Estate		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	282
Net income	43,384	32,508
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		32,508
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	43,384	32,508
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	43,467	32,453
Dividends, Preferred Stock	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Rental revenue	24,404	24,426
Tenant reimbursements	4,207	4,538
Other income	1	1
Mortgage and other financing income	1,090	604
Intercompany fee income	0	0
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	93	85
Total revenue	29,795	29,654
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	0	0
Property operating expense	4,779	5,311
Intercompany fee expense	668	676
Other expense	194	350
General and administrative expense	2,431	2,531
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0
Interest expense, net	7,110	7,422
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	4,357	4,300
Transaction costs	0	0
Non-cash impairment charges		3,998
Depreciation and amortization	6,058	5,607
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	4,198	(541)
Equity in income from joint ventures	168	(2)
Income from continuing operations	4,366	(543)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	18	348
Impairment of Real Estate		(8,845)
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	565	0
Net income	4,949	(9,040)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(9,058)
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		(18)
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	4,949	(9,058)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	4,141	(7,711)
Dividends, Preferred Stock	0	0
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	(668)	(676)
Interest income on intercompany notes receivable	(4,357)	(4,300)
Total revenue	(5,025)	(4,976)
Equity in subsidiaries' earnings	(48,333)	(23,450)
Property operating expense	0	0
Intercompany fee expense	(668)	(676)
Other expense	0	0
General and administrative expense	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	0
Interest expense, net	0	0
Interest expense on intercompany notes payable	(4,357)	(4,300)
Transaction costs	0	0
Non-cash impairment charges		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Income before equity in income from joint ventures and discontinued operations	(48,333)	(23,450)
Equity in income from joint ventures	0	0
Income from continuing operations	(48,333)	(23,450)
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Impairment of Real Estate		0
Gain on sale or acquisition of real estate	0	0
Net income	(48,333)	(23,450)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		(23,450)
Add: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests		0
Net Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders, Basic	(48,333)	(23,450)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent	(47,608)	(24,742)
Dividends, Preferred Stock	$ 0	$ 0