Fiesta Drive-In

Constructed 1948. The Fiesta Drive-In originally opened in 1948 with a single screen. The massive original screen tower had a mural of a Mexican man and woman dancing and was animated with neon lighting. Above them was the theater’s name in streamlined style lettering. The Fiesta Drive-In closed in 1970 Read more…

Cavern Theater

Constructed 1951. The Cavern Theater was built in 1951 in downtown Carlsbad, New Mexico at 210 North Canyon Street, just one block north of the Eddy County courthouse square and in the heart of the downtown commercial district. The theater was designed in the International Style, a form of modernism Read more…

Land of the Sun

Constructed 1947. In 1947, a first-class, state-of-the-art movie theater, Land of the Sun, opened in Artesia. It was operated by the Gilchrist family until 1975. Eventually it came into ownership by Carmike Cinemas, and by the late 1990s, the theater had become rundown, inside and out. Artesia MainStreet and Carmike Read more…

El Rancho Theater

Constructed 1942. Opened in February 18, 1942 as the El Rancho Theater. The theater accommodated 600 patrons. The opening movie was “Skylark” starring Claudette Colbert. The El Rancho was later named the Deming Theater and after being remodeled in the 1970s called the Sunn Theater. Heavens Beauty Salon now operates Read more…

West Theater

Constructed 1959 The West Theater is the last of the three theaters in operation in Grants. The West was originally a single screen theater that was converted to a twin screen cinema. The balcony was converted to the second screen. The theater opened in May 1959, and built at a Read more…

Lux Theater

Constructed 1937. The September 18, 1937, issue of Boxoffice had this to say about the Lux Theatre. Souris & Ade are opening the Lux at Grants, NM, a house of 518 seats. The town has been without a theatre since 1930. Another item in the same issue lists various pieces Read more…