The state cinema has withstood the challenge of time and still stands today as an important landmark in Nelson Central.
Built in 1936, the cinema was built by local James Baird at the Halifax/Trafalgar St Corner.
The cinema is opposite the Nelson City Council building which was once the old Post Station.
The cinema was successful for a long time, providing plenty of entertainment for locals.
However, as time went on the cinema lost its state of the art status and the owners failed to invest in new technology.
In the 1980s visitor numbers declined further and the cinema was close to bankruptcy.
Mark Christensen, who had experience running small local cinemas in New Zealand saw a future for the old cinema and bought it.
He fitted it out with new technology, restoring it to its former glory, and the State Cinema continues to screen films today.
