Salem in the Rockingham County, New Hampshire, has moviegoing back to it for the first time in 17 years as the town gets a brand new, 12-screen theater, says a press release by motion picture exhibition industry leader Cinemark Holdings.

The new multiplex is located at 15 Mall Road, adjacent to The Mall at Rockingham Park.

Cinemark XD Auditorium in Salem

Cinemark, one of the world’s largest and most influential movie theater companies, announced the multiplex today, saying all auditoriums offer reserved seating and feature the company’s heated Luxury Lounger recliners. Moreover, there are immersive wall-to-wall screens with 4K digital projections, advanced sound systems, enhanced food offerings and an XD premium large format auditorium.

Mark Zoradi, the CEO of Cinemark, said in the news release, “We are excited to celebrate the opening of our first Cinemark New Hampshire theatre right in the heart of the Salem community.”

He added, “We’re always developing new ways to augment the entertainment experience for our guests, and this new multiplex will provide our Salem guests with innovative theatre technology as well as a multitude of food and beverage offerings for the optimal viewing experience.”

Plano, Texas-headquartered Cinemark operates in 548 theaters with 6,082 screens in 41 states domestically, Argentina, Brazil and 13 other Latin American countries. Besides its flagship theater, the company also manages Century Theatres, CinéArts, Rave Cinemas and Tinseltown USA.

Salem is the first New Hampshire town encountered when traveling north from Massachusetts on Interstate 93. According to the US Census Bureau, the US town has a total area of 25.9 square miles (67 km2). According to the 2018 estimates, there were 29,554 people residing in the town. During 2014-2018, there were 11,413 households and, at the 2000 census, there were 7,603 families. The median household income during 2014-2018 in Salem was $83,343.

Notable people from Salem include New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, NH State Senate President Chuck Morse, Major League Baseball player Duffy Lewis, actress-model Pamela Gidley, US congressman and senator John E. Sununu (brother of Chris Sununu), StarCraft eSports commentator Daniel Stemkoski (Artosis), former US Women’s Ice Hockey Olympian & three-time medalist (current Boston College Eagles women’s ice hockey head coach) Katie King-Crowley and former NH Governor and White House Chief of Staff (under George H. W. Bush) John H. Sununu (father of Chris and E. Sununu).

Salem’s Rockingham Park racetrack was central to the plot of Paul Newman- and Robert Redford-starring “The Sting.” Moreover, scenes from the 1968 heist movie “The Thomas Crown Affair” were filmed at the Salem glider airport, which is now Campbell’s Scottish Highlands Golf Course.

Image credits: Town Office Building - User:Magicpiano (CC BY-SA 4.0) Cinemark XD Auditorium in Salem - Courtesy of Cinemark Public Relations

This article now includes photo of the theater’s XD auditorium.