Any Drive-Ins Where You Live?

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Last year I took my wife and daughter to the last remaining drive-in theater within 50 miles here in northeast Ohio. Real estate prices, taxes and suburban sprawl have axed many of the favorites I grew up with.

But anyway, my daughter, who had never been to one before was amazed. So last week, we went again and did it right. Using the pickup truck, with the back facing the screen, cooler, folding chairs, blankets and sleeping bags and wall-to-wall teens. Other people there went even further with tailgate parties and candle light. Give me a break! But there you had suburban yuppies with their SUVs next to farmers in their diesel pickups and everyone else in between. I felt some nostalgia as the older generation was sharing with their younsters, a vanishing American institution. Oh, and any kid caught with a laser pointer will be thrown out. Thank you. Enjoy the movie.

Any drive-ins left out your way?

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), July 21, 2000

Answers

Craig:

We still have one in the county although its future is in doubt. Seems a young couple froze to death there last winter waiting for the movie "Closed For Winter" to start.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 21, 2000.


Hey Ken! Was the movie rated PG? Craig! I remember those days. Long gone are the drive in's around here, I guess. Last I knew of was east of Newton, IL on hwy 33 but think it's closed now too. Lightin a small smokey fire to keep the skeeters away, a washtub of soda pop, home made ham sandwiches, homemade tater chips. Time was when we could get in for a dollar per carload. Times have changed. Now we have "OFF" and other thingys to fight the skeeters. Good Post Craig. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@ pcinetwork.com), July 21, 2000.

We have one here in Central Ohio...a double--with the screens facing each other. You can watch both, but only hear one! ;-)

Where I used to live there was one left: in Andover Ohio. Is that the one you were at, Craig? I'm not sure it is still there.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 21, 2000.


Yes, we still have one! I'm in Ohio also. It's called the Starlite. It's the last one around here. they seem to do a pretty good business. Mostly families attend. $10 a car load on Tuesdays.This one is around Amelia, Ohio about 50 mins. east of Cincinnati ( sort of in the country).

-- Denise (jphammock@msn.com), July 21, 2000.

Here is the url to a news story on the very topic of drive-ins. http://www.hutchnews.com/past/7-14-2000/pre/pre1.html Kansas has 8 of the approximate 500 remaining drive-ins in the U.S. One at Kanopolis Kansas has great pull, and gets movies in their first run, such as "The Patriot". They are indeed an experience to be had by all.

-- Notforprint (Not@thekeyboard.com), July 21, 2000.


I also remember a drive-in from my youth. Nothing as elaborate as stated above as to food. Just a large container of homemade popcorn. Blankets on the luggage rack. Small playgrounds under the screen. Moving the car when someone when to the concession stand. Later trying to score in the back row against the fence (I saying trying since I never succeeded). Two movies I remember in particular. House on Haunted Hill. Scared the p**s out of all of us. Separate Tables. Almost everyone fell asleep in the middle of it. I know later when the population of the area exploded (the central Gulf Coast of Florida), they had open air Catholic masses there. The Midway is probably long since gone as prime highway real estate.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 21, 2000.

Hi Jim, Yes! Andover is still there. Because of the amount of summer tourist traffic, it makes a great place to spend a warm summer night.

The drive-in I went to was Mayfield Road on Rt 322, south of Chardon. The best thing that happened to the place was that 2 years ago, a tree-top tornado knocked the old rumpled screen flat. Think of "Twister" without the injuries. So with a brand new screen and an owner who made a few concessions to today's movie crowd, the place is doing rather well. He allows portable B-B-Qs, (no smoke after the movie starts), and the concession stand has hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pizza, popcorn, ice cream and any kind of soft drink.

Since there is only one admission price per car, the younger set is rediscovering the joys(?) of stuffing the front and back seat AND TRUNK with bodies. The audio portion of the movie is broadcast on FM, which allows you to wander around with a portable radio and still hear the movie. Makes for one long party.

Oh, and Hoot, remember the families that came with the kids in their snuggies with pillows and teddy bears? Still happening! The other change I noticed is that with today's larger vehicles, it takes longer for the windows to steam up ;)

(:raig

-- Craig Miller (CMiller@ssd.com), July 21, 2000.


Well, now you got me remembering all kinds of stuff from the drive-in.

Did you ever drive off with the speaker and rip the cord right out?

Fall asleep and have the manager wake you up to leave?

Suddenly notice that your windows were so steamed up you couldn't see anything? Yes, last row activities! ;-)

See your date's dad walking around looking in cars for her, then sneak out w/light turned off....

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 21, 2000.


There is a brand new drive in (within the last coupe of years) in Jackson Ohio, on Rt. 788. It is very small and only open two or three days a week. No speakers to drive off with. If you cant pick it up on your car radio I guess that you have to go sit by the concession stand to hear the movie. Rt. 788 is not really on the way to anywhere, or on the way back either.

-- Ed Copp (edcopp@yahoo.com), July 21, 2000.

Tried to get the article in the hutch news to come up but couldn't get it! I think there is still a drive-in at EL Dorado, Ks. across from the college--that is open on week ends only---think hubby & I will have to check it out! When I was in school it was a big deal to get to drive from Chase county to Emporia to the Big Cheif Drive- in!!! Many great memories of going to that drive-in!!!! Craig, I'm sure you have stirred alot of memories in a lot of us about those drive-ins!

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), July 21, 2000.


Memories! Would you believe there's a brand new one here in Wausau WI. No more ripping out the speakers because you tune your radio in to a selected frequency to pick up the movie audio.

And yes Jim, I do remember those things you mentioned as well as a few rides in the trunk of my buddies 57 oldsmobile which was so big we could have had a picnic table in there with us.

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), July 21, 2000.


We have one here, south of Regina -- called Cinema 6 -- it only has two screens -- I assume it's called the Cinema 6 because it's on Hwy 6 out of the city. It's been there, according to my sources, pretty much forever. You can tell. I think the restrooms came off the ark.

They serve the best french fries (the really greasy kind), and the best watered down Coke I've ever had -- best right after a mouthful of fries. I haven't been in ages...I think I'll call and find out what's playing...

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 21, 2000.


Yes, we have a very active drive in at Garrett, Indiana. Just today I drove past and saw a line already started at 6pm for a movie that probably won't start until 9! The movie XMen and Perfect Storm.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), July 21, 2000.

Talk about nostalgia....the last time I went to a drive in I believe that Night of The Living Dead was the featured movie.I got so caught up in the zombies that when a guy walked past the car with a rather stumbling gait (he was trying to balance two cokes and a large popcorn as well as not walk between the speaker wires),I screamed bloody murder causing him to drop all of his goodies..my scream also stopped all physical activity within 4 car rows...it was memorable..We used to go to the drive in in the Wintertime (Boston)..freeze our gazooties off,watch really stupid grade Z movies and have a terrific time..ah, those were the days...God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@gateway.net), July 21, 2000.

Talk about traveling down memory lane! I recall fondly the drive-ins of my youth! I remember seeing so many movies and loved the double and triple features. I really hated to see the drive-ins in western NY go... went out of business from those new cinemas. Well... wehn we moved here to VA., there is a drive-in still in existance near us and no, have not had the time to go see a movie. Maybe i need to:)

Bernice

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 22, 2000.



weirs beach,n.h. Well we still have one here.This is about 60 years old,and has 4 screens and fm radio to hear it.This is a summer resort on the edge of Lake winnipesaukee,near laconia,nh.When we first started dating we use to go and they only had one screen.Lots of fun. Tonight on screen one is What lies beneath. Have fun

-- howard d wells (hdwells@gis.net), July 22, 2000.

Howard -- Weir's Beach -- isn't that where the big bike rally is every year? I was just talking to my brother about that this morning....

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 22, 2000.

Tracie; Yes that is where the bike week is.We used to go to it but we no longer have a bike(bad knees).Everybody had a good time.This year they had bikes from every state there.A good time was had by all.

-- howard(nh) (hdwells@gis.net), July 22, 2000.

We have one here in Montana. Open Memorial day through Labor Day, Friday and Saturday nights, $5.00 per carload.

-- Marci (ajourend@libby.org), July 22, 2000.

No drive-ins left in central Ky. that I know of but sure have many memories of them. Anyone remember the "ma's a busy beehive" commercials trying to get you to buy goodies at the concession stand during the commercials. We went to a flea market last week that was an old drive-in theatre. Too bad they are so few and far between now. I imagine VCR's had a lot to do with that.

-- bj (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), July 22, 2000.

Don't want to bore anyone, but the response from Libby,MT brought back a memory! MANY years ago my fairly new (he's fairly old, now :)) husband and I went to the drive-in in Libby, MT. We were living in a little cabin on the Kootenia River about 3 miles from Troy,MT. No running water and no plumbing and no electricity (ahhh the good old days). Saw two movies-can't remember the names. One was about vampire bats and the other about mutated people after nuclear war. Got home about 1:00am and didn't even light a lamp and fell into bed. About 15 min later I heard a sound I had never heard. My hubby was snoring peacefully beside me. I dismissed the sound and tried to go to sleep. About 10 min went by and the noise started again and didn't stop. It was a scratching whishing sound and totally unnerved me! I woke my husband and the noise stopped! He was going back to sleep and I told him if he didn't get the flashlight and find out where that noise was coming from I was going to sleep in the car! He grudgingly got up and started trying to find the sound. We had one cupboard in the cabin and that seemed to be where the noise was coming from. He got a chair and shone the light on an angel food cake pan I had stored on top of the cupboard. The sound increased and he pulled it down and looked inside. He almost dropped the pan. There was a little bat running around and around inside the angel food cake pan! He ran to the door and jettisoned the bat out into the night and came back to bed! I didn't sleep very well and we never did find out how that bat got into the cabin the very night we went to the drive-in and saw a vampire bat movie!

-- Kathy Cox (kilatable@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

Howard -- my brother was there last year -- he drove his bike down from Windsor, Ontario. This year, he's coming this way to Sturgis (sp???) South Dakota -- he's going to stop by to visit us on the way through -- I haven't seen him for two years, and am looking forward to the visit. He said Weir's Beach was quite the party -- he alternates between the two. Silly goof is 48 years old and still driving his Harley all over the continent. I tell him to grow up (jokingly, of course) and he asks me why he should!

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 23, 2000.

There's a drive-in in Versailles, Indiana.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 23, 2000.

Am I the only one to go to a drive-in in a boat? Don't know if it is still in operation but there was one in Winter Haven, FL which backed up on one of the chain of lakes. Screen could be seen from the water. Someone would have to go on shore to turn up the volume on the last row of speakers. Only went once. Mosquitoes almost drowned out the sound of the movie and those little coils you would buy and light don't work very well in an open air boat.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 23, 2000.

Craig, I think they may be making a comeback, We have one on the outskirts of Athens , AL and they just opened it up about 3 years ago.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 23, 2000.

There are three outside of Minneapolis and St.Paul. I used to frequent all of them. Big, huge fan of the drive-in movies. Great for a pregnant woman or for families. Too far away to go to them now, sadly.

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), July 23, 2000.

We have one about 30 miles from us. It's a great family night out. Take food, toys, bug spray, softballs and gloves..... If the little ones get bored with the movie, you don't have to try and keep them quiet, they brought their toys!

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), July 25, 2000.

Thanks Craig! I looked up a former drive-in in the next county on the internet. And discovered that it had been reopened 8 years ago! The husband, the kiddies and I went that night. Two movies for $6 adults and $3 children. Add in pillows, blankets and snacks and this family had a great night out. They were first run movies at that. Now, I'm telling everyone about it so, it doesn't have to face extintion again.

-- Pam Pitts (msjanedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2000.

Just me, again. I forgot to mention the location. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in Columbia.

-- Pam Pitts (msjanedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2000.

Central Ohio has at least 3 Drive-ins. 1 single screen in Deleware, Plays a good mix of adult and kiddy movies during the summer and has a flea market on sat/sun morning. AM/FM transmitted audio as well as pole speakers. Good family place.

A double screen on the south side of Columbus. Good mix of movies and also has flea markets on the weekends. FM transmitted audio as well as pole speakers. Nice place but not in the best area of town.

A double screen on the east side of Columbus, OH. This is one of the nicer drive-ins around although still pretty much the same as the 60's. People show up several hours early and bring bar-b-ques and make a night of it. People setup volleyball nets and play till movie time. FM transmitted audio as well as pole speakers.

Gary

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), July 27, 2000.


Hi - got a drive in down the highway from us in Parma idaho - I've never gone because by the time we get through with all the animals and whatever we've done during the day, all anyone wants to do is drop into bed and sleep until it starts over next morning.

The most memorable drive in movie I've gone to was in Los Angeles - something called "endless summer" was showing, and it was SO AWFUL!!! that when it finally ended, everyonegot out of their cars and clapped and hooted and cheered until Star Wars the first eposode came on.

-- AnnCats (Anncat42@Yahoo.com), July 27, 2000.


I know of 2 in Colorado: Ft. Morgan & north Denver off 88th.

-- DW (djwallace@ctos.com), July 27, 2000.

We have 7 left in Mass. the closest one to me being about 80 miles away in Wellfleet on Cape Cod. Used to have one in the next town but that is now a shopping plaza. Had a lot of good times there in the old days as it were. Saw Jaws and Star Wars and so forth. They took it down in the early eighties as I recall. All good things must come to an end they say! SIGH!

-- Bob Johnson (backwoods_bob_2000@yahoo.com), July 27, 2000.

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