Trailridge Cinema
7456 Nieman Road,
Shawnee,
KS
66203
7456 Nieman Road,
Shawnee,
KS
66203
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Commonwealth Theaters Corp., United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Functions: Church
Previous Names: Trailridge 3
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News About This Theater
- Mar 20, 2012 — Old movie theater restored into new, modern church
Located in the Trailridge Shopping Center, the Trailridge Cinema was opened March 21, 1975. It was taken over by Commonwealth Theatres on April 6, 1977, it was renamed Trailridge 3. It became a discount house on May 28, 1982. On February 10,`1988 it was taken over by United Artists. They operated it until March 10, 1996 when it was taken over by an independent operator on May 23, 1996 reverting back to its original Trailridge Cinema name. The Trailridge Cinema was closed on January 9, 2007.
In January 2012, it was purchased by a church.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
This theater had three shotgun style auditoriums, seating approximately 150 seats each.
This opened on March 21st, 1975 by Guy-Con Enterprises. Grand opening ad in photo section.
Reopened as a discount cinema on May 24th, 1996. Another ad posted.
The ridiculously long-running theater, the Trail Ridge Theatres 3 / Trailridge Cinema operated 32 years until January 29, 2007. The venue was announced in 1974 as part of the planned rustic, Trailridge Shopping Center in Shawnee. Linclay Contracting Corporation built the strip center minus the rustic look (other than the plaza’s signage) with the Trail Ridge Cinema opening March 21, 1975 for Guy-Con Theatres with “4 Musketeers,” “Island at the Top of the World” and “Girls in Trouble.”
On April 6, 1977, Commonwealth Theatres Circuit took over all nine of Guy-Con’s screens including the Trail Ridge’s becoming the Trail Ridge Theatres 3. The triplex was challenged by a new group of multiplexes with five to eight screens. On May 28, 1982, Commonwealth downgraded the venue to a discount, sub-run $1 house which it retained for the next 25 years.
On February 10, 1988, United Artists took on Commonwealth locations including the Trail Ridge. The UA Trail Ridge 3 continued the $1 all seats policy. In September of 1990, the theatre lost the space between Trail and Ridge finally adopting the center’s name as the UA Trailridge while raising the price 50 cents before returning to a dollar. UA was ready to leave at the end of its lease in 1993 but was encouraged to re-up for three more years. UA left the house on March 10, 1996 making no improvements.
The shopping center management found independent Ron Willard willing to take on the venue. He rebooted at a penny cheaper - 99 cents for all seats - on May 23, 1996 sporting the tagline, “Cleaned up; painted up; lighted up!” Clearly a shot at UATC which had let the venue run down as it counted the days to the lease’s expiry. Willard ran the venue under The name of the name of the Trailridge Cinema.
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” $3 midnight screenings ran for 196 weeks until the theater became damaged by overzealous “Rocky” fans. In 2001, Willard gave the theater its final refresh and announced no more “Rocky Horror” screenings for the good of the facility. The Trailridge Cinema closed on January 29, 2007. The plaza’s owners couldn’t find another theater owner wanting to operate a 32-year old triplex so they found a tax-friendly solution in moving it to a church in 2012.