Until the ten screen Cinemark Movies 10 opened at the new mall on 20th St., the Cinema 3 was the only "modern" movie theater in town (the others being the retrofitted El Rey Theater, the Senator Theater, and the Pageant Theater). Cinema 3 was the first multi-screen movie house in Chico. It closed in the late 90s after facing stiff competition from the Cinemark. The United Artists Theatres chain went bankrupt in 2000. Later in 2002, United Artists Theatres was absorbed into a new company called Regal Entertainment Group along with Regal Cinemas and Edwards Cinemas.

After closing, Cinema 3 became the first of a series of former movie theaters turned churches. The site is currently home to Butte Bible Fellowship. It can be difficult to see that the building was once a theater, as the church has since done major renovations to the exterior, including putting up a steeple.

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