Maya Cinemas closes at Campus Pointe, Galaxy Theatres set to take over

Maya Cinemas at Campus Pointe has permanently closed its doors, but the movie theater next to Fresno State will not stay empty.

Galaxy Theatres is set to take over operations at the Campus Pointe location, bringing a new theater operator to the shopping and entertainment center.

The closure of Maya Cinemas came after more than a decade of serving Fresno State students and the surrounding community. The 16-screen theater opened in 2015 and was one of the original anchors of the Campus Pointe development.

News of the closure came as a surprise to some moviegoers.

One customer interviewed by Fresno State Focus was shocked to hear the news and is hoping that the tickets his family has will be honored by the new business taking over.

The closure also raised questions about what would happen to the large theater space and whether Campus Pointe would continue to have a movie theater.

Those questions did not last long.

Galaxy Theatres is taking over the location, giving moviegoers a new option without requiring the theater space to be converted to another use.

Founded in 1998, Galaxy Theatres operates movie theaters across several western states. The company already has a presence in California, including locations in Tulare, Porterville, Riverbank and Riverside.

Galaxy describes its theaters as focused on providing a first-class moviegoing experience with an emphasis on comfortable surroundings, quality presentations and customer service.

The change could be especially significant for Fresno State students because of the theater’s location. Campus Pointe sits adjacent to the university and includes restaurants, housing and other businesses frequented by students.

Maya Cinemas had been part of Campus Pointe since the development’s early years, with the theater serving as one of its main entertainment attractions.

Details about when the new Galaxy Theatres location will open and what changes could be made to the existing theater have not yet been announced.

For the latest updates on the transition from Maya Cinemas to Galaxy Theatres and other news happening around Fresno State, follow Fresno State Focus.