History of CEC Theatres

CEC Theatres began a half-century ago in 1955, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Originally, it was known as Drive-In Theatres, Inc and was primarily comprised of the 10-Hi and Cloud Drive-Ins in St. Cloud, MN.

In 1964, a name change to Cinema Entertainment Corp. (CEC Theatres) marked a new focus on building freestanding indoor theatres. Through the years, this privately-held family-owned company followed an expansion plan focused on small to medium size communities located in the Upper Midwest.

In 2002, CEC Theatres purchased the 70-screen Iowa based Central States Theatre circuit. CEC Theatres immediately embarked on a renovation and construction phase that upgraded and expanded the Central States properties.

In 2007, CEC Theatres sold 125 screens located in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin to Marcus Theatres. 

CEC Theatres currently operates over 150 screens in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska. With company headquarters still located in St. Cloud, MN, CEC Theatres remains a family-owned company with a commitment to bringing state-of-the-art theatre facilities to the communities it serves.