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 Cinemas reached an agreement in mid-2001 to make some changes at the theater. Carmike would improve the interior, and AMS would be responsible for the facade. Carmike also agreed that the theater’s name would return to Land of the Sun. The Land of the Sun theater marquee is one of the most distinctive in New Mexico and was restored in the 1990s by Carmike Theaters and Artesia Main Street.
418 W. Main Street Artesia, NM 88210 | 575-746-4112
Image provided by Elmo Baca.
