Are drive-ins still a thing in USA or are they a relic of the past?
Posted by FervexHublot@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 466 comments
Posted by FervexHublot@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 466 comments
PoohRuled@reddit
Yes. There are at least four in Florida that I know of.
drosmi@reddit
Relic. That said there are 3 or 4 within an hour of me (central Indiana)
Willing_Fee9801@reddit
Drive-in theaters are rare enough that I've never seen one in my life outside of movies.
21schmoe@reddit
Same. Only ever seen one on TV.
helikophis@reddit
There are a couple in my region, both more than a half hour drive from our major city.
mugwhyrt@reddit
Yes.
They are still a thing but they're struggling(ish). I don't have a car anymore and don't live in an area with drive-ins, but I did use to go to the drive-in pretty regularly up until a couple years ago. It's a lot of fun, it's typically cheaper than a regular theater, and they do re-runs and double features. Whenever we went there seemed to be plenty of folks showing up, so I think they did well. The big issue I remember was that the drive-ins tended to have older equipment and got hit hard when they needed to upgrade to digital projectors. Some made it through once they could raise the funds to get the newprojectors but it was a close call for a lot of drive-ins in southern maine and if I remember correctly not all of them made it out alive.
Loquaciouslow@reddit
They exist, but are few and far between. Both movie theaters and restaurants.
Intelligent_Ebb4887@reddit
I didn't even think of drive-in restaurants! Only movies came to mind.
appleparkfive@reddit
I guess you could count Sonic lol. Then there's a good few
pls_send_caffeine@reddit
In-N-Out Burger counts too!
Drunktraveler99@reddit
That’s a drive thru, not quite the same
pls_send_caffeine@reddit
The one I used to go in Laguna Niguel did have a drive-thru, but they would also deliver your food to your car if you wanted that option
Drunktraveler99@reddit
lol so not a drive in
pls_send_caffeine@reddit
No it was a drive-in that also had a drive-thru
Drunktraveler99@reddit
In that case McDonald’s is a drive in
nicholas818@reddit
No, they’re saying that at this one location you could park and have your food delivered to the parked car. McDonald’s doesn’t typically do that (at least not as far as I’m aware).
TManaF2@reddit
They do, but then expect you to un-park and drive somewhere else to eat. Sonic expects you to eat in your car stall
Drunktraveler99@reddit
At least one location does
Vert354@reddit
If Sonic doesn't count, I don't know what would...
terrovek3@reddit
Sonic, burgermaster, dick's.
ButtholeSurfur@reddit
I was thinking of restaurants personally. Both exist here in NE Ohio. We have a chain of drive-in restaurants about to have their 100th anniversary. We have a few drive-in movies too.
Realtrain@reddit
I was the opposite, immediately thought of restaurants until the top comment mentioned movies.
makerofshoes@reddit
I was the opposite. Didn’t even think of theaters 😆
cjbanning@reddit
I thought of drive-in restaurants first and was surprised when everyone in the comments was only talking about movies.
Yankee_chef_nen@reddit
I also thought of restaurants first.
Dull-Geologist-8204@reddit
Sonic is pretty popular here. There are a ton of them. There are way less drive in movie theaters.
Loquaciouslow@reddit
Sonic by me absolutely sucks and they rarely have the drive in spots open.
matthias45@reddit
They opened 3 sonics were in live in like 2009. I remember being sorta excited. They even had tryouts for servers who could rollerskate and double down on the old-time vibe. Within 5 months of opening They stopped roller service, a few dropped meals and a dinged car, and all the old folks who claimed to want that stuff suddenly didn't want to wait on the service or let a small ding to their car go without a legal issue. So it was ended. The food was alright at best. We have better options, especially with the boom in food trucks here around the same time. These days there is I think one is still open, but It may be gone now also, haven't driven by it in ages. They are definitely a dead system at least in my part of the country
Suppafly@reddit
that would sorta imply they are doing good business though.
Loquaciouslow@reddit
They are not serviced.
Suppafly@reddit
Crazy. I guess they've decided it's not worth the expense of hiring people to run the food out to them. Our's have a speaker to order from, so the only extra work is running the food out, doesn't seem like it'd be a huge burden for them, but they also barely have enough staff to run things.
that-Sarah-girl@reddit
Every Sonic I've seen was a drive through not a drive in.
Rosariele@reddit
Where I live, some still don’t have drive-throughs.
Professional_Band178@reddit
We have drive-thru liquor stores in Ohio.
DrScarecrow@reddit
We have those in Louisiana, too. We can even order mixed drinks in a to go cup from ours. But most of them are drive thru, not drive in.
Professional_Band178@reddit
We dont have to-go cups in Ohio. I love when they tell you not to drink and drive as they hand you an advertising keychain with a bottle opener with your cold 6-pack.
Harry_Gorilla@reddit
I think your experience is the exception
TMulharin@reddit
The one near me has the drive-in stalls, but I don't think they've used them in years.
SJHillman@reddit
Same here. For a while, about half of them had out-of-order signs, now I just don't see anyone use them at all. Drive-thru is usually packed though.
vim_deezel@reddit
I've never seen a sonic didn't have those little pull in stations to get your food
Dull-Geologist-8204@reddit
Ours are drive in's. I mean there is a drive through but we never use it. I have actually never seen one that didn't have it. It makes sense though in DC that they may have gotten rid of that part of it though just due space.
that-Sarah-girl@reddit
Lol DC doesn't have any. We used to have one like 20 years ago and it had two drive thrus, one on each side of the building. And there were TV commercials about Sonics having two drive thrus. And I've seen drive thru ones on road trips.
Dull-Geologist-8204@reddit
There is one in Cecil county with the drive in. I also know of one on the eastern shore.
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nothinnews@reddit
There are a lot more drive-in restaurants than theaters. I mean what drive in theater has a national brand?
Loquaciouslow@reddit
True. However, both Sonics near me regularly only have the drive thru open.
Signal_Republic_3092@reddit
I guess NE Ohio lucks out and has one of each that are locally owned.
goodsam2@reddit
Ohio had a bunch near Cleveland.
It was weird you drive up flash lights for service and give you mostly like hot dogs and other fried foods. It was nice.
Loquaciouslow@reddit
I up until recently had a legit drive in that had awesome burgers and food in general. Miss that place.
02K30C1@reddit
The town I grew up in still has two drive in restaurants. They’ve been rivals forever.
whoami9427@reddit
They still exist, but extremely sparingly. They, like you say, are mostly a relic of the past.
PressPausePlay@reddit
There's also some DIY ones out there but impossible to find.
I went to one on a farm where they projected onto a barn and used a low power fm station to broadcast the sound into everyone's car (you could just tune in on your radio).
Very autistic redneck shit :)
It was one of my favorite film experiences of my life.
Odd-Help-4293@reddit
And there are some temporary pop-up ones, where a town or college or whatever will set up a big screen in a parking lot and show an older movie for free.
TManaF2@reddit
That sounds a lot like the municipal ones where you bring your own lawn chair...
AliMcGraw@reddit
Yeah we have a couple summertime popups
PressPausePlay@reddit
Good point
stanolshefski@reddit
Agreed.
There were roughly 4,000 drive-in theaters at their peak.
Now there roughly 300.
Some of the theaters are struggling and won’t exist within the next 5-10 years, while others figured out how to make money and be packed on the weekend.
Some of the ones that are packed specialize in theme weekends and get people who are willing to drive hours for a double or triple feature.
Char_siu_for_you@reddit
My hometown has a porn drive-in. It’s got its own kinky culture.
https://fiestatheater.com
No-Effect-4973@reddit
Mine did too when I was in high school. There would be about 50 cars parked along the road where you see the screen, but couldn’t hear it. Then the cops would come by and everyone would leave. Then about 15 minutes later we would all show up again. It was a ‘game’ played all night long.
Cranberry-Electrical@reddit
Well, El Paso has a drive-in theater. Who own this drive in theater?
Flat-Product-119@reddit
Damn, as a kid who grew up pre internet porn, I would have been dressed in camo and face paint and posted up on that fence line. Otherwise it would be back to hoping to stumble across porn in the woods or cross my eyes at just the right amount to unscramble the image on cable.
BentGadget@reddit
Imagine looking for porn in the woods and stumbling into a clearing with a porn drive-in.
Imightbeafanofthis@reddit
There used to be one on the Marin/Sonoma county line in California. The drive-in theater was in Marin county, but could only be seen (except in the theater) from Sonoma county. That doesn't mean it couldn't be seen from the freeway though. IIRC it was only visible for a brief moment, but it was definitely startling. Amusing, too. The dude who owned it was in legal disputes for years before he sold it. I went to it once to check out the vibe. All I can say is until you've seen genitalia the size of motorhomes, you haven't lived. 🤣
No-Onion-9106@reddit
Had a porn drive in in Ypsilanti Michigan.Wonder if it’s still there
Flying_Dutchman16@reddit
I have so many questions that I don't know if I can ask on reddit.
WardOnTheNightShift@reddit
Houston used to have one too. It was on Red Bluff Rd. It closed decades ago.
Gyvon@reddit
Of course the porn theater was on fucking Red Bluff.
MastiffOnyx@reddit
Most died when the industry changed from film stock to digital showings.
Old film equipment needed switched out to expensive digital hardware. It was too expensive to make the change. In most cases, not enough traffic to support the new equipment.
Smaller venues were run out of the market.
stanolshefski@reddit
Some drive ins aren’t showing any first-run films.
Instead, they’re bundling old films into theme nights and weekends.
That might be just a handful of the 300 drive-ins though.
TwinFrogs@reddit
There’s only a few left in the PNW. The land is too valuable to have a summertime only theater.
Suppafly@reddit
We had kind of a temporary one in my area, where the screen was permanent at the end of a parking lot, but the projector and such wasn't left there all the time. I never went, but you could see the screen when you went to other businesses. I think they did the audio over your radio, so they don't need the infrastructure of the little speaker stands all over.
Master-Collection488@reddit
Not super-uncommon for them to be a place to buy Xmas trees in November/December.
Ignorred@reddit
Have you been to any of them? It's like one of my destination goals but I can never find a good weekend
Brock_Hard_Canuck@reddit
I live in BC, and there's only two left in the whole province here.
One in Enderby, and one in Prince George.
I live in the latter city, so I try to go to the drive in theatre a few times during the summer here.
It really is a neat experience.
vim_deezel@reddit
why would it only be summer time? When I was near one they played almost year round except like 2 months in winter
Sonic_Snail@reddit
Looking at your flair that makes sense. But in northern climates the weather isn’t really suited for drive ins year round
No-Onion-9106@reddit
The drive ins I went to as a teen all had heaters that you could use.Kinda like a coil thing that was attached to the pole. No idea how many high cases forgot and drove off.Lots of damage there
Excellent_Speech_901@reddit
That would help with cold but PNW = Rain.
No-Onion-9106@reddit
That was the 60’s and 70’s.Don’t know if they still have them
Frosty-Secretary3113@reddit
Because you live in Texas, which is warm, and other places aren’t? Come on!
LiqdPT@reddit
You're in Texas, not Washington.
john_hascall@reddit
Well here in Iowa it's definitely a 3-season thing. Last I knew there were 4 left in Iowa
Draconuus95@reddit
As someone who grew up in Texas and now live in Wyoming. Ya. Winter movies work down there except for maybe 2-3 months depending on the year and where you are at in the state. A car can pretty easily keep you comfy except for the most extreme Texas winters. But up here in Wyoming (and Idaho where we used to go before it closed). There’s only about 5 months of the year where weather makes seeing a drive in even remotely worthwhile.
Hiring snow removal is expensive. Below freezing temps are quite normal for much of the year. A muddy and/or iced lot might become a hazzard for customers and employees as well.
AluminumCansAndYarn@reddit
You live in Texas. Where I live between October and April, it gets progressively colder and wetter with October and April being the rainiest months of the year. November, December, and January are super cold and frigid and making a person go from inside in the cold to run a person their food out in the cold isn't usually something people like to do. Outside of Sonic, we have one drive in in my city and it closes in September and opens in May. It's much like the ice cream hut type place that opens in March/April and closes after Halloween because no one wants to stand outside in the cold waiting for ice cream. There is no inside to sit and eat your ice cream so it closes because they're not gonna get the business.
11B_35P_35F@reddit
In WA, on the western side of the state, from September to May is the rainy season. Constant drizzle to medium rain that lasts, literally, all day and night. Completely the opposite of the rain in TX and in the south where it's heavy for a short time and goes away.
CODENAMEDERPY@reddit
-F temps. Feet of snow. Never-ending rain.
Crafty-Shape2743@reddit
Mud.
Hybridhippie40@reddit
The problem is that that they usually play double features that don't start until after 9 because it doesn't get dark until then. If you want to watch the second film, don't plan on being home before 3am. I wish it was possible for them to be open in the winter months.
TXHaunt@reddit
I know of one in the Austin, TX area.
OldFoolOldSkool@reddit
There’s a nice one in Shelton.
Myst21256@reddit
Oak Harbor still has one
n0exit@reddit
Port Townsend still has one I think.
Myst21256@reddit
Hopefully they are fun
nauticalfiesta@reddit
And a less nice one in Bremerton
Crankenberry@reddit
There was one in Newberg Oregon that I went to a couple times when I lived in Portland, but I'm not sure if it lasted through covid.
doubleohzerooo0@reddit
Port Townsend has a drive in
TwinFrogs@reddit
One near Shelton as well.
Tudorrosewiththorns@reddit
We have one and it's fantastic. Unfortunately a lot of modern cars lack the experience to turn off the running lights which really hurts the experience.
Flying_Dutchman16@reddit
I was going to go to one once until I learned you had to put a CD in your car to play the sound and my car doesn't have a CD player.
PurpleAriadne@reddit
I went to a Sonic Drive in recently because it was the place to go in high school. I wanted to get some tator tots and a cherry limeade.
They don’t even leave the tray on your window so you can have a place to set the food. Most of the stalls have been converted to a Door Dash pick-up area.
Pristine-Pen-9885@reddit
They’ve switched from drive-in movies to drive-in food.
Upbeat-Law-8944@reddit
I’m going to one in SC tonight!
Viharabiliben@reddit
There are plenty of drive in pharmacies and a few banks left. San Jose has one drive in movie left.
Bunny_Biscuits@reddit
We have one here in Las Vegas.
https://www.westwinddi.com/locations/las-vegas
N1njaF1sh@reddit
I’m in Vegas, we have one left.
Responsible_Side8131@reddit
There are some, but not very many.
N2Shooter@reddit
I go to the Elm Road Drive a few times during the summer.
RefrigeratorRare4463@reddit
There are a few scattered around the US, I grew up going to one a couple Fridays or Saturdays every summer.
Wonderful-Mud-1681@reddit
We had 7 drive in screens in the Kansas City area 10 years ago. We have 1 now.
PsychologicalBat1425@reddit
Mostly a relic, but they have a few here and there. It was fun to go to the drive-in with my friends as a teen. Pile in the back of a truck, with sleeping bags or the back of a big SUV with the end opned. It was fun.
We went a few times when my son was a baby. I didn't want to take a baby into a crowded theater.
BobEvansBirthdayClub@reddit
We must be an oddity, because we have four drive in theaters within an hour or so’s drive. As for drive in restaurants, there are still a couple of seasonal ones that seem to continue to be popular.
We have one drive in theater nearby that actually recently reopened after many years of sitting vacant. It’s been pretty successful.
rm-minus-r@reddit
It used to be that your car would be more comfortable than small folding theater seats with terrible leg room, and you didn't have to deal with horribly sticky floors and poorly behaved patrons. So drive-ins had some definite advantages, especially when they broadcast the sound over the radio. That's what I recall from my early childhood anyway, I was definitely on the tail end of them being anything you could call "widespread".
Movie theaters have come such a long way though. Much cleaner than they used to be, almost never having to deal with a sticky floor, incredibly comfy seats (that recline!) with far better legroom and a much lower tolerance for misbehaving patrons. Alamo Drafthouse even boasts about how quickly they'll throw troublemakers out hah, absolutely love it!
There's very few drive-ins in Texas - maybe enough to count on a single hand? But they can't beat modern theaters on anything other than cost and maaaaaybe nostalgia for the ever dwindling set of people who went to drive-ins when they were popular.
YesterdayGreedy1954@reddit
See a ton of remnants out here in Texas but have yet to see one in operation. I’ve seen some in other states that have been turned in into churches. That’s fine and gimmicky.
mothwhimsy@reddit
Both sort of. They still exist but the vast majority of them have been closed for a long time. My local one is still open but plays a sad ad about how most of them are closed and food sales are what keep them on business before every movie
Silent-Bet-336@reddit
We go very often in the summer. It just opened last weekend for the season. We love our drive in friends and family.🤗 There are 2 other drive in theaters just a bit farther too.
oriolesravensfan1090@reddit
There is one near Baltimore, Maryland that is still popular. Though their snack options leave something to be desired
SonoftheSouth93@reddit
The last one in my city (Memphis) just shut down a few days ago. There were two here until recently.
Murderhornet212@reddit
Mostly a relic
banjosullivan@reddit
I go to one often in Florida. They aren’t as prevalent but they’re still around. Especially in warmer cities.
tiltedslim@reddit
There's one in Watertown, TN that I go yo at least once a year. Last time it rained and for the first time had to watch the move from inside a modern car. I had to use various things to cover up the LED everything on the dash and console. It was not the best time.
On a nice day it's great. It's more like park and sit outside vibes. Everyone brings camp chairs and the old school feel can't be matched.
Zappagrrl02@reddit
Movie theatres or restaurants?
milkweedbro@reddit
It's more of a novelty thing now. There are a few drive-in cinemas in my state.
texasrigger@reddit
Others have answered your question but nobody has really said why they are a relic. Drive-in's at their peak didn't show first run Hollywood blockbusters, they played inexpensive B and exploitation movies. The same movies that grindhouses were famous for. The home video market more orbless destroyed that industry as it far better for the film producers to release something direct to video than to pay the expense and hassle of getting film prints out to small independent theaters.
j_grouchy@reddit
There's one here in Atlanta about 3 miles from my home
Shaeos@reddit
There was one down in Boise idaho... dunno if still exists
Several_Cheek5162@reddit
Sonic is still a thing?
UJMRider1961@reddit
There is one in my small city (Pueblo, CO.) They are showing a couple of first run movies.
SnooChipmunks2079@reddit
Drive-in what, theater? Restaurant?
Both still exist but not too many of either one.
wifespissed@reddit
I haven't seen one since I was a teenager. That was some time ago.
EffectiveSalamander@reddit
I believe there still are a couple left in Minnesota.
cdb03b@reddit
Drive in Theaters are extremely rare.
Drive in Restaurants are somewhat common with Sonic being a major one.
Bruised_up_whitebelt@reddit
The barely exist. There is one about a 30 minute drive from me in rural northern Minnesota.
011011010110110@reddit
we've still got two in our south central Pennsylvania county. i haven't been in 15+ years, so i couldn't tell you how popular they are these days but i loved going as a kid
Suppafly@reddit
They haven't really been a thing in my lifetime. There are still a few of them around but they are very rare.
More_Craft5114@reddit
Are we talking about movies or burger joints?
Eh, answer's the same either way.
Here in St. Louis, MO, we have a single drive in theater and apart from Sonic Drive-In, only like 1 or 2 of the burger places.
gunmunz@reddit
I have one like 3 miles from my house.
Katskit89@reddit
They still exist but they are not as popular as they used to be.
Distinct_Chair3047@reddit
I haven't seen a working Full Time Drive-in in over 3 decades.
Responsible-Chest-26@reddit
I don't know if its still up but there was a website that tracked how many were still open. I looked at it 20 years ago so the site may not even be active anymore. At that time there was around 200 still active in the country
Acehigh7777@reddit
Usually there is more fucking in the cars than movie watching anyway.
League-Ill@reddit
Ours had its final night this past weekend, and it's honestly really sad.
theegodmother1999@reddit
they're a relic of the past but they most definitely still exist here! my friend got proposed to at one last year
An8thOfFeanor@reddit
They're rare enough to be considered a novelty these days
lisasimpsonfan@reddit
We have two within 20 - 25 minutes. One has three screens and has lines to get in during the summer. The other only has one screen and isn't as nice.
Cranberry-Electrical@reddit
Sonic and A&W are the national franchise I see in the PNW that have Drive Ins. That model takes up space. Some place land is to expensive.
ogbubbleberry@reddit
They definitely had their place in history; but I would not invest in any new drive in business opportunities.
OwslyOwl@reddit
I’ve only seen one and it’s pretty far away.
GpaSags@reddit
There was one less than an hour's drive from that closed at the end of last summer because the owner retired. To the best of my knowledge, it's currently for sale.
SpaceBear2598@reddit
Mostly a relic, sadly. I grew up in Ohio near a big multi-screen drive-in. It was open until the early 2000s and I'm super thankful to have gone there as a kid in the 90s all the time. It was really great.
CoyoteGeneral926@reddit
We have one here in Ohio.
UglyInThMorning@reddit
Both? They exist but you would only go because they’re retro
ColoradoCattleCo@reddit
Oh, heck no. I take my family to the one in Fort Collins every year - right next to the foothills. Grab the Dewalt radio, load up the truck bed with blankets and lawn chairs, a cooler of some cold brews... it's a blast.
illhaveafrench75@reddit
Hahaha I was offended by that comment you replied to. I go to watch horror movies that I really want to see that aren’t steaming yet alone at the drive in because nobody in my life will watch them with me. I just get high as fuck & hotbox my car, wrap myself up in a blanket and eat snacks.
It’s such a good way to have time alone and turn your brain off.
Puzzleheaded_Sky6656@reddit
I was going to say, I’m sure the one in Fort Collins still does okay. There’s one in Commerce City too.
ColoradoCattleCo@reddit
True. But get food & snacks from them since that's the majority of their revenue. The one in FC grills a ton of burgers and dogs right next to the concession stand. The burgers are actually really freaking good... and I raise cattle for a living.
Puzzleheaded_Sky6656@reddit
That sounds awesome! I will do that this summer for sure.
vim_deezel@reddit
i used to go because it was the closest place to see a movie
hvl1755@reddit
We have one in my town. And I think there’s at least a couple more in the state.
dustsmoke@reddit
Movie theaters are a relic of the past
clansing192@reddit
Have one in my hometown of McHenry Illinois. It's always packed plays 2 movies alternates one for the next week. Sometimes they have special themes and play older movies.
hewhoisneverobeyed@reddit
When we moved to our current house in 2010, we had two within a ten-minute drive. Upper midwest, so the season was short but both did good business on the weekends. Triple features, starting out with a kid’s movie and those cars would leave after the first movie and sometimes there was a line queued to take the emptied spaces. One was gone by 2015 or so (to build a WalMart, FFS) and the other only got busier.
During Covid, cars would line up hours in advance and if they did not get in, many would wait for slots to open when cars left after the first movie. The next summer was great, too. For the next year, they had their hiring weekend in March as they always had but the manager quit and it never opened again. Lots of rumors, but it remains empty. I drive by it weekly. Years later, still there.
SilverB33@reddit
Some still exists, there is one in Reno that I've haven't had time to go too
Ignatiussancho1729@reddit
There's a small one in the city I live in. Love it and try to support when I can. Fun to get beanbags, chairs and blankets in the back of the truck
Lacylanexoxo@reddit
There’s one here. I haven’t been there. If the play something good the other movie suc
YellojD@reddit
There’s one in Sacramento that’s still one of my wife and I’s favorite places.
DarthZoon_420@reddit
There's one in the northwest part of las Vegas
Street_Breadfruit382@reddit
Lmao, so did you mean drive in theaters because that seems to be what people decided you meant. I grew up next to many drive in A&Ws, it’s still a thing with Sonic drive ins too. When I was a kid there was… is actually… a drive in privately owned. They call it porky’s now and nobody comes to your car anymore, but the menu is on a billboard outside and you park in front of the sliding windows. There used to be (still is?) a place near Milwaukee too. Famously a drive in. But don’t go there unless you know the etiquette. Lights on, you need service. Lights off you’ve been served. Roller skates and all. Oh yeah! How could I forget Dog n Suds near the WI/IL border is a famous stop. Lots of celebs used to stop there on their way between Chicago and Lake Geneva. I highly doubt they ever went out of business. It’s beloved. Yeah, so I would need to take off my shoes to count all the drive ins I name just off the top of my head. You’re getting answers from children who couldn’t identify a drive-in if they were in a Sonic parking lot this very moment.
RangerMatt76@reddit
Visalia, CA is supposed to get a new one either later this year or next year.
SouxsieBanshee@reddit
Surprisingly, there are two in my city. The one farther away I hear is run down and I’ve never been there. The other one is 10 minutes down the street from me. I love it. I used to take my kids there in the summers. Now they go with their friends. I feel fortunate that my kids get to experience drive-ins growing up. There used to be one near me where I grew up, had great memories going there with friends
TheHarlemHellfighter@reddit
You find some here and there. I feel like they made a slight come back during the pandemic. And, nowadays they get business when they do multiple features or try to make an event surrounding multiple movies being shown, not like the traditional theatre that has set times every day.
seifd@reddit
That's the way it is at mine. They do double features exclusively and have signings with local comic book artists in conjunction with superhero movies.
Xavier-Cross@reddit
They are ABSOLUTELY still a thing.
https://34drivein.com/
Rogerdodger1946@reddit
We have one here in our smallish city in Central Illinois.
lesbianvampyr@reddit
There’s a lot in my area (northeast Ohio). I go with my friends a few times a year, we take my truck and bring a bunch of blankets and snacks and make a whole setup in the bed
Puzzleheaded_Sky6656@reddit
The one in Tulsa was in The Outsiders movie and is still open (or at least it was last summer).
taniamorse85@reddit
There are a few near me. I haven't been to one in probably 20 or so years, though.
WokeUpIAmStillAlive@reddit
They still exist. 2 within an hr of me
DBL_NDRSCR@reddit
they're at special places like sonic (sonic please come to la county), not common anymore
tranquilrage73@reddit
There are 2 within 30-minutes of my home.
gilbert131313@reddit
We have one in Vegas. I go often and its usually quite busy!
HoyAIAG@reddit
We still have them
suck_and_bang@reddit
We have a couple in Western NY.
Gecko23@reddit
The ones near me started closing when I was in middle school, decades ago.
There's one that's still clinging to life, weekends only in the summer. No idea how it's held on, but it has.
NatsFan8447@reddit
I'm an early Baby Boomer and drive-in movie theaters were never common where I live - Maryland. Probably because the weather would limit their operation to only a few months, May through September or October. I doubt if there are any drive-ins still operating today in Maryland. My sense is that they are mostly gone from the US.
humanzee70@reddit
There’s some still left. It’s mostly a nostalgic or novelty thing to do now.
ThePickleConnoisseur@reddit
You have to search for them. Went to one in NorCal and it was a lotta fun but idk if I’d go for a movie that I already haven’t seen
WichitaTimelord@reddit
One here in Wichita, KS.
I haven’t been in a long time. In summer the movies don’t start until late and I am too old for that 😆
Klutzy-Ad-4226@reddit
I have one 15 miles away. It’s called Terrace Drive-In. It’s in Caldwell, Idaho.
TankDestroyerSarg@reddit
Drive-In movie theater? They still exist, but are very sparing. Absolutely a relic of the past and that's the draw for the remaining ones. Nostalgia.
republicson@reddit
Boulevard Drive-In is in Kansas City, Kansas still, and we go a couple times per summer.
Golintaim@reddit
There's a couple in New York state. How they manage to survive I don't know but apparently we have the most drive ins in the country.
WookieeRoa@reddit
There’s still a few around but there more a novelty these days like going to a 50’s themed diner. But on the plus the ones that do remain are usually substantially cheaper than a “normal” movie theater.
SimplyPars@reddit
Drive in theaters or drive in diners? There aren’t any of the theaters left here, but we still have diners. It’s obviously a long way off from the golden years of car culture and cruise ins however.
pittlc8991@reddit
There are a few in the Pittsburgh region. I like to go a few times a year. It's a great summer activity filled with nostalgia.
AncientPublic6329@reddit
A few still exist, but most of them shut down a long time ago.
CamelHairy@reddit
Have 2 within 5 miles, the Rustic in North Smithfield, RI, and the Mendon Twin in Mendon, Ma
Temporary_Pie2733@reddit
I never did get to the Mendon Twin when I lived in Worcester. There was a drive-in in Leicester until just a few years ago. I think it may even have been running 2 or 3 screens until shortly before covid, though not when we finally started going. It closed shortly after covid; can’t remember if we went in ‘21 at all.
BoSKnight87@reddit
I have 2 near me in NJ as well. They are packed all season long
vibes86@reddit
They still exist. There are a couple within an hour drive of me now in western PA and there was one in my hometown in southern Indiana.
shadowmib@reddit
Theres a few around. Not a common thing. I think a lot of people go to them out of either novelty or nostalgia
petg16@reddit
Admiral Twin in Tulsa, OK just a mile off Route 66 they did a holiday light drive through last year and just entering high season. I don’t going the weather is 70°F+.
Derfburger@reddit
Our small city has a 3 screen drive in and we get visitors from the surrounding states. I would say they are mostly a relic, but the ones that are left are popular. Here in the South it runs all year.
A911owner@reddit
There is a 3 screen drive-in near me; they only exist because the family has owned the place since the 60's and owns the land outright and leases a back part of the lot to a phone company for a cell tower. It's a fun place; I go every summer and hang out outside and watch movies, drink beer and eat pizza.
Lumpy-Ring-1304@reddit
Purely a novelty at this point
Efficient_Wheel_6333@reddit
There's a couple in my area and one somewhere near where my folks live, but they're not huge. A lot of that is simply because they can only show a couple of films at best whereas most indoor theaters can show a lot more-my closest indoor theater can show 6 different films at a time.
Electronic_Nature_32@reddit
My town brought drives in back during Covid. Everyone loved it! It was a sad day when they stopped☹️.
3DSamurai@reddit
They're still a thing, but not nearly as common as they used to be. I would put them on a similar level to malls.
ZealousidealFee927@reddit
Not even remotely. I've seen a mall in pretty much every city I've traveled to, and that's a lot. To this day, I've never encountered a drive in theater.
shelwood46@reddit
Drive-in theaters are, in my experience, not really a city thing, not even back in the day. They require cheap space, since they are seasonal and need acreage. Even when I was little in the 1970s, they were usually out in the sticks, and not running first run movies. Usually it was a double feature of movies that were at least a year old, might have even been on tv by then. I remember I saw ET at a drive-in in the summer of 1983 -- it was out for a year by then.
ZealousidealFee927@reddit
When I say city, I was just using it in the general term. Didn't mean an actual metropolitan area.
I'm from Southeast, a lot of rural areas. Never saw or heard of a drive in anywhere.
3DSamurai@reddit
Are you looking for them? I havent been to either recently, but I probably go to the drive in more often than I go to the mall.
ZealousidealFee927@reddit
Actually, yeah. I have always been interested in the experience.
smappyfunball@reddit
They’re still around in some cities. I went to them when I lived in Phoenix and in Ohio.
They aren’t anywhere near as prevalent as they once were but a lot of good sized cities usually have one. It might only be seasonal, but they aren’t completely gone.
What I wish is they had theme nights instead of just playing new blockbusters.
Like double feature horror movies, or classic schlock drive in fare.
The quality isn’t great so you should be going for the experience rather than to see some new marvel movie or something.
Yummy_Crayons91@reddit
The drive-in movie theater is gone in PHX. I also went to it as a kid. I think it's finally getting around to being redeveloped but it's sat for years.
smappyfunball@reddit
Well, I moved away in 2010, so it’s been a while. There may have been more than one too.
Mostly I remember being inundated with cigarette smoke.
Unsure_Fry@reddit
On the rare chance you ever find yourself in eastern PA during the summer or fall, there's a drive-in that does just that.
It's been a few years since I've been there but in the past they did a double feature of The Thing movies, and a triple feature of Bruce Campbell movies to name a few.
Some people would make a small vacation out of it. I'd see some Maryland and New Jersey plates. They'd usually stay overnight in the camping area.
Tooch10@reddit
Northeast PA has the Circle in Dickson City, still operating
CaptainTripps82@reddit
One of my bigger post COVID regrets was not going to see Bruce Campbell screen the Evil Dead movies at the localish Drive In, he was doing one of those theater tours, but at drive ins because people were still leery about being in large crowds together. Might have been my last best chance to meet the man, the myth, the legend.
Unsure_Fry@reddit
That's where I saw him. He did a "Distance" tour at that drive-in during the COVID years. He did a Q and A at the beginning and presented the movies. They played Evil Dead 2, Army of Darkness, and Moontrap.
CaptainTripps82@reddit
Yup, exactly what I'm thinking of. It's up there with not going to a local upstate NY comic con where Nichelle Nichols was a guest the year before she passed away.
I'm not really a celebrity chaser, but these people shaped my childhood and watching them age or pass away makes me feel my own mortality. Or something.
arbivark@reddit
bert kreischer did a drive in tour during the pandemic. it was $100 a car so i didnt go, but there are enough drive ins left it was possible.
we have a local neighborhood, twinair, named after the former drive in.
smappyfunball@reddit
I live in Oregon so that’s a ways out but maybe it could be combined with the blobfest one year.
The town where they shot the blob has a yearly festival and they do a double feature of the original and the remake in the theater featured in the movie.
I don’t remember the name of the town but it’s outside Philadelphia somewhere.
whatyouwant22@reddit
I live in rural Indiana and there are two drive-in theaters within about 15 miles from my house. One of them has "retro nights" twice per week (Mondays & Tuesdays, I believe, where they show an older movie sponsored by a local business for free and you just have to buy your concessions. (You're not supposed to bring in food.)
I think it's really fun and a good place to take young kids. It's a great way to spend a hot summer night!
UglyInThMorning@reddit
I made the mistake of seeing Inglorious Bastards in one back when it came out. I had no idea wtf was happening because I couldn’t read the subtitles
59chevyguy@reddit
There are a couple around where I live.
FairBaker315@reddit
Theres one 3 miles from me and 3-4 within 25 miles. This is in the Pittsburgh, PA area.
rshining@reddit
Mostly a relic- we're lucky to have a couple within driving distance (one of them is actually a newly built drive in) and we make sure to go a couple times a year just to keep them afloat. It's much better than an indoor movie!
DawaLhamo@reddit
Drive-in restaurants besides Sonic are pretty few and far between, but they still exist. Sonic is still very popular. With the Twin drive-in theatre closing last year (which wasn't due to lack of business but high rent by the landlord) the Boulevard is the last drive-in theatre in Kansas City. It's 75 years old and is PACKED every weekend.
TopperMadeline@reddit
They made a little bit of a resurgence during Covid lockdown. There’s one in my city, and other about an hour away from me.
Diesel07012012@reddit
There is still one in Maryland that does double features on the weekends during the summer.
R5Jockey@reddit
Are you talking about theaters or fast food restaurants?
There’s three drive in theaters in MA, although one of them is also partly in NH.
There are a couple of drive in restaurant chains. Sonic is the largest.
shikari426@reddit
There’s one 2 minutes away from me and it’s PACKED every night. During the summer, I literally have to plan around the traffic it creates. I can pick up the audio for the movies on the FM channels at my house which is pretty weird.
glowinthedarkfrizbee@reddit
We have one right outside my town. Playing this weekend:
https://www.hiway219drivein.com
jayleenie@reddit
There is one in Glendale, Arizona. I lived near there my entire life
Trick_Photograph9758@reddit
Very rare to see one, and it would be a niche. I doubt there are any drive-ins that operate full time, year round.
Nicktrod@reddit
There is one outside Earlville IL, and one just south of Monroe WI.
Reksican@reddit
I went to one when I was in high school (like 10-12 years ago) but it was a super long drive to get there and idk if it’s still around. Was a really cool experience though
Fishtails@reddit
I just drove past one. Haven't been in decades.
san_souci@reddit
They are opening a new Sonic near me. Woohoo!
John_TheBlackestBurn@reddit
Mostly gone the way of the buffalo.
waynehastings@reddit
They still exist. I went to one just a couple of years ago. The sound thru the fm radio was really bad. Not a fan.
FunProfessional570@reddit
Not a lot left. We have one about 30 minute drive from us in a little tiny town. Its claim to fame is the drive in theatre. It opens in late April thru September for the weekends and in summer they’ll have shows during week. When it starts getting colder it is more special events. They do a fun Halloween one. You can even bring your dog! They have a walking path and they have decent concession stand. You can bring your own food but they ask you to pay something like $5/car and it’s an honor system type thing.
Crankenberry@reddit
I was born in 1970 and I sure miss the experience. I live in New Mexico and I think there's one maybe an hour or so from me but I've never checked it out. It's not the same these days.
cryptoengineer@reddit
There are over 300 still in operation , but that's down from 5000+ in the 60s.
wrong-landscape-1328@reddit
I live in upstate NY and we still have at least 3 in my area
Bahnrokt-AK@reddit
I have two within 15min of me, both have 3 or 4 screens and they are packed every weekend with decent weather.
I prefer it over regular movie theaters for taking the family out. We stop on the way and buy a pizza (and still spend a small fortune on concessions) load the truck up with chairs, blankets, etc. the kids can run around and toss and ball in the grass.
Desertzephyr@reddit
A relic, like Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlors, Montgomery Ward, and social niceties.
The last drive-in here in Salt Lake City, Redwood Drive-In, closed after 76 years. There was public outcry when the city rezoned it for residential use.
What’s taking its place? Oh, just 300 lifeless homes in a cookie cutter subdivision probably named something tragic like Aspen Hollow at Redwood Estates. You know the type, where every house is beige and the streets are named after trees that don’t grow here. 🤣
BunnyHopScotchWhisky@reddit
The one by my house gets so crowded during the summer. I'd be driving home from work and if it was late enough cars would be lining the side of the road waiting to get in, like a half mile long or more line. I think the one near me has 3 or 4 screens too. I do think it's one of the last ones in the area, though.
gotellmeagain@reddit
There are two of them near where I live
Distinct_Bed2691@reddit
We have one. I made out with a girlfriend there when we were in our 50s.
Secret_Purple7282@reddit
There's one in my town
YoshiandAims@reddit
They are still around though very rare.
daffodilteacup666@reddit
Not enough of them. There is a great one in fort collins Colorado. Fond memories of that place. I had hoped covid would make them more of a thing again but no luck.
stabbingrabbit@reddit
Just lost our last one in Kansas city last year
Hunts5555@reddit
Relic of the past. There may be a handful still in operation throughout the US, as a novelty. I vaguely recall them still existing as a kid in the late 1970s.
nochickflickmoments@reddit
There's a few in my area, Southern California
Po-Ta-Toessss@reddit
There’s a few in central FL.
StuffedHobbes@reddit
we have 2 in Vegas. West Winds which my wife and I utilized A LOT during Covid.
Then we got Snappy Burger "drive in" which we love and my wife made a viral Tik Tok video that drove in tons of customers so now we get to eat for free there.
But yes, it's most a relic of the past, especially if you're from an area where it gets cold for 6+ months a year. It's just not economically viable to have that much land sitting there unused if you don't get creative.
Icy_Consideration409@reddit
We have a drive-in theater in Ft. Collins, CO.
Fit-Rip-4550@reddit
They still exist, but most are remnants. Modern cars just are not built for them.
MyAvarice4@reddit
The last one in our city shut down years ago. We went for a double feature: Minions and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Felis_igneus726@reddit
Assuming you mean drive-in theaters, they still exist if that's what you're asking, but they're not "a thing" in the sense that they're popular and easy to find. You have to search to find one, and most people under, idk, like 40 have never gone. I've only been to one once and it honestly wasn't that much fun as far as I remember. Nothing compared to a traditional indoor theater where you have a comfortable seat with no mosquitoes and can count on actually seeing and hearing the movie you paid to watch. I'm happy to say I've experienced it, but I'm in no hurry to go again.
dgillz@reddit
Drive-in restaurants or drive-in movie theaters?
But both are extremely diminished but not gone.
Gunther482@reddit
Yes. I grew up about three miles away from one and it’s still in use to this day. There’s another one about 50 miles to the south where I grew up too.
wolfmann99@reddit
Logansport, IN.
Drive in convenience stores, drive in hot dog stands, drive in theatre shutdown, but Monticello one town west still has one that converted to digital projectors.
ophaus@reddit
They exist, but you might have to search.
Ok-Truck-5526@reddit
I think there are three left in my state. Kitschy fun in the summertime.
BigDSuleiman@reddit
There's a drive-in theater near where I live. Part of what has kept them open is their food. Someone bought it after the old lady that had it before died, she was over 100 and still ran the place. It seems to be well-regarded still.
TheMuffler42069@reddit
I snuck into one in my friends trunk one time.
Mickeys_mom_8968@reddit
We have one I’ve been going to for over 30 years 🎥🍿
SgianDubh@reddit
The one near me just reopened after a several-year hiatus
SmittenBritches@reddit
There was one here in Utah that hosted a swap meet on the weekends, but the city and developers decided they’re going to turn it into high-density housing. 😭
freshamy@reddit
We go to one every summer. It’s local and it’s been around for years. It’s a fun night out!
Dapper-Code8604@reddit
I think there are two within an hour drive from my house in KY, and they’re in opposite directions.
ArcadiaNoakes@reddit
A friend of mine is part of the family that owns and run Becky's Drive in Pennsylvania. It opened in 1946. Its not even the oldest drive-in in the state. A mere 12 miles away lies Shankweiler's Drive In, the oldest continuously operated drive in theater on the planet. It was the second known drive in ever built, and has been open since 1934. Pennsylvania alone has 29 operating drive in theaters, second only to the state of New York, which has 30. Ohio has 23. These three states alone account for a little more than 25% of all the remaining operating drive ins left, which is around 300 going into this year.
So yes, they are not common in most of the country, but they do exist, and after almost dying off when reels stopped being distributed, the ones left seem to be stable. A lot of people check them out for notstalgia or a different viewing experience. Some people try to visit every single one over course of a severl years. So, it has its fans.
Individual-Theory307@reddit
We have a few within 50 miles, but they are pretty much for nostalgia. In our area, the nights in summer are uncomfortably hot and humid and the bugs will eat you alive if you leave your windows open. Some people idle their vehicles to use the AC but that just adds to the noise pollution.
hoopjohn1@reddit
Less than 10% remain of the once popular mainstays. Many were located in undeveloped land on the outskirts of cities. Over time, the land became extremely valuable for subdivisions and apartments. The movie biz changed.
Grindar1986@reddit
The last one in Memphis closed yesterday
JuanG_13@reddit
We still have a few here where I live
ReallyEvilRob@reddit
All the drive-ins that were in my area have been torn down. I haven't seen a drive-in theater since the late 80s.
CommercialWorried319@reddit
There's a drive-in theater a town up from me and it seems to have pretty good business judging by the traffic mess when it lets out,and 2 Sonic drive-ins in just my town
PrimaryBalance828@reddit
There are some left.
Two very successful ones in my area do it by offering reasonable ticket prices, very good concessions (the one closest to me is owned and operated by a family that ran a restaurant, they do full service pizza, burgers, chicken strips/nuggets, ice cream/milkshake, etc in addition to the normal popcorn, candy, nachos, etc
Both of these you get a double feature as well as part of the entry price. First movie is generally a kids movie and second will be a general audience such as action.
ToastetteEgg@reddit
There is one 35 miles from me.
used-to-have-a-name@reddit
Relic of the past.
HydraHamster@reddit
One still exists in my city and I have fond memories going to it. It’s sadly been some years since I last went to it mainly because I haven’t been interested in most movies coming out. The food is better than the movie theaters. This makes me want to go.
TomMorelloPie@reddit
Theater or restaurant?
I live five minutes from a drive in restaurant that opened in ‘53 and 15ish from one that opened in ‘47.
Drive in theater that opened in ‘56 is 10 minutes in the other direction. The double feature this weekend was The Accountant 2 and Sinners.
jenmrsx@reddit
We still have one working. Several are shut. Very rare sight nowadays.
freedraw@reddit
They are kind of both. You don’t really see new ones open, but there are a bunch of old ones still operating, mostly in rural towns/areas that get a lot of summer tourists. So like I’m in the Boston area and I can think of four off the top of my head that are between 1-2 hours drive as long as traffic is light.
themcp@reddit
Drive in restaurants or drive in movie theaters?
All the drive in movie theaters I've seen are relics, sometimes restored and updated, but a historic drive in movie theater. I don't go to them because there isn't one around here. The closest one is a significant drive from here, but it sounds fun: they've tried to make it an experience. Every show is a double feature, they have nice food, and a playground for children.
All the drive in restaurants I've seen are modern. It's not a big thing, but they exist. There's even a small chain of them, and I kinda like their menu.
Quirky_Commission_56@reddit
There are three drive in theaters in my vicinity and the closest one is ten miles away and the furthest one is 32 miles away.
Secret-Ad-7909@reddit
There was one left in my state. It shut down during Covid. The plot was bought by some developer. Word was they were putting in an Alamo Drafthouse theater. which in addition to their usual amenities would also feature a drive in/outdoor screen.
It’s been a couple years since there was any update and Alamo Drafthouse has shut down several locations in the Dallas area. So it’s not looking good.
Phaedrus317@reddit
They're kind of rare, but there's a pretty decent one in Indianapolis.
BusyBeinBorn@reddit
There’s one in the middle of nowhere between Evansville, IN and Owensboro, KY. It’s cheap and it’s great when you have small children that you’re not sure can shit through a movie as there’s playground equipment and stuff for them to do. The switch to digital films almost did them in, but they had some fundraisers and were able to stay open.
Phaedrus317@reddit
I grew up about 5 minutes from Holiday Drive-In. Working the concession stand was my first job in high school. So much nostalgia for that place.
suspicious-351@reddit
The only one near me got turned into a gas station.
lfxlPassionz@reddit
Depends. Where I live we still have one and it's fairly popular but most cities don't have one
lincolnhawk@reddit
Still a thing, since we had kids we go a lot. We’ve always had one close between Houston, Austin, and Vegas, and they’re the ideal movie solution with young kids. We took our firstborn to It when he was a lil baby and he just slept and fed in the car while we got to see a movie. It was excellent.
They usually have a playground and a lil concession shack with vastly superior prices to the theaters. So it’s a lot more manageable with my kids being 4 and 7 than going to a theater. I get free kids or single car ticket and the kids can run around if they need to.
Drive-ins are great value, great for families, and still a thing.
ketamineburner@reddit
I saw a movie at a drive-in last summer.
NewLawGuy24@reddit
No longer
Xarysa@reddit
I have a few all about an hours drive in various directions from me in California. They tend to share spaces with stuff like flea and farmers markets.
FishyFry84@reddit
I have two within a 30-minute drive from me. One of them is very lenient on bringing in your own drinks and snacks. The other will search your car like you're sheltering enemies of the state.
MotherTeresaOnlyfans@reddit
It's worth specifying whether you're referring to drive-in *restaurants*, where you pull up to a stall, park your car, and a server takes your order and then brings your food out to your vehicle, often on a tray that clips to your car's window, or drive-in *movie theaters*, where people park in a lot and watch a film on a big screen from their vehicle.
Both are significantly less common than they were generations ago, but you can still find drive-in restaurants here and there, most notably the Sonic chain of restaurants (whose quality has been going downhill for decades), but there are extremely few drive-in movie theaters left in existence.
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
This link provides a what I think is a current and up to date list of which drive ins are still operational in the USA.
steathrazor@reddit
Drive-ins only exist anymore as a novelty just like arcades
HamburgerTimeMachine@reddit
They're still around. I know of two relatively close to me in Rubidoux and Pomona, CA
apatrol@reddit
Houston had one that just closed. All the land that used to be right on the outskirts of towns is now expensive prime real estate.
dobbydisneyfan@reddit
They exist! I go at least once a year. But they’re few and far between.
Bushpylot@reddit
I haven't' seen one for decades. I thought COVID would create a come back for them. I really miss them. It was such a fun way to have a date
Foxy_locksy1704@reddit
I think we have one left in my state and I think this will be their final year. I miss the drive-in so much I have so many memories with family and friends seeing movies at ours. I saw ours be torn down and an overpriced apartment complex be built where it was. I know time marches on, but it’s sad to see them disappear.
WestWindStables@reddit
There are several drive-in theaters in middle TN.
Abdelsauron@reddit
They’re enjoying a slight resurgence after some of them opened during COVID and became one of the only permissible public gatherings.
Mostly a relic but I’d wager most people live within an hour drive of one if they really want to check it out.
JNorJT@reddit
Sonics is still a thing lol
Iluvembig@reddit
Nothing says a fun night out like killing your battery!
gsquaredbotics@reddit
There's still a few, but probably less than 300
slowclapcitizenkane@reddit
There's only 1 drive-in theater that I know of in my general area now.
But drive-in restaurants, there's multiple Sonics, Swenson's, and some local places that qualify.
Entire_Researcher_45@reddit
You mean a theatre for movie,, or like a Sonic?
drsfmd@reddit
They are quite popular in my area (there are 5 or 6 within 30 minutes of my home), but from what I understand, that's really uncommon.
OldBat001@reddit
Are you talking about theaters or restaurants?
Not too many theaters, but there are still some restaurants around, like Sonic.
My mind went straight to restaurants. I only ever went to one drive-in theater.
CloudTheWolf-@reddit
They definitely still exist in a lot of smaller towns
No_Builder7010@reddit
Have one in our town. Owned by a ranching family who sells the BEST burgers in town. It's only open April-Oct. It's a total labor of love. Bless their hearts!
Zuke77@reddit
Here in Utah they have one that still runs. They use it for farmers markets and flea markets during day time hours and winter.
lantech@reddit
They still exist and are a relic of the past
lantech@reddit
They still exist and are a relic of the past
Alarming_Bar7107@reddit
There's one about 45 minutes away from me. I love it, especially for kids who aren't quite ready for a theater. They can move around and/or sleep
weedtrek@reddit
Movies or restaurants? Either way they are both rare novelties that are leftover in a few places.
LadderAlice107@reddit
I have a couple relatively close to me here in Los Angeles. We also have pop up ones in the summer pretty often.
I only really went during the pandemic for some semblance of normalcy and for something to get me out of the house. It was fun, I’d bring my own popcorn, snacks, drinks. It was where my where my now husband and I had our second date. We saw Wonder Woman 2 and got to mercilessly make fun of it without disturbing other people. Laughed till we cried and I knew he was the one that night.
TrueInky@reddit
We have one here in Atlanta called Starlight. They host farmer’s markets in the daytime on weekends and show movies at night. Pretty neat!
ubutterscotchpine@reddit
Still a thing in PA. We probably have a dozen or so.
mmmhotcoffee@reddit
I found out there used to be one right next to my apartment complex. They tore it out in the 1970s and built an indoor theater.
r2k398@reddit
There are still a few around. I’d have to drive an hour to get to the nearest one though.
MakeItLookSexy_@reddit
We have a drive in in my town. I live in the Midwest and a town of 500k people
Piper6728@reddit
There are drive in restaurants, but I think there's only 4 drive ins in all of the Chicagoland area
spacecommanderbubble@reddit
The one in atlantas awesome. 5 screens, current movies, and they let you tailgate early. We usually take a grill and shit lol
Ravenclaw79@reddit
We still have them. The one near me still draws decent crowds every summer.
Weightmonster@reddit
They still exist. I think more commonly now a group will show a movie on a screen at a park or on the side of a building for an impromptu drive in.
ChoiceD@reddit
Have one less than a mile from my house.
MyCatEzekielSays@reddit
There is a drive in about 5 minutes from me.
IfThenElvis@reddit
Fiesta Drive-In, El Paso TX, opened in 1950, showing XXX movies since 1981.
Throwaway-ish123a@reddit
I have literally never been to one nor seen one and I'm no spring chicken
CaryWhit@reddit
The big one in Memphis closed for good last night. The crowd was huge. Turning hundreds of cars away. Where were they when it struggled to stay open?
Yes, nostalgia or thing of the past mostly.
Teenagers don’t seem to get drunk and screw in cars anymore!
MomRaccoon@reddit
I have 3 within a reasonable driving distance. The closest is 30 minutes away and has 2 screens and has upgraded a Iot since I was a teenager . Two others that were around when I was younger have closed. But definitely a thing in western NY state!
vim_deezel@reddit
There are still some around, but their heyday is 50 years past its expiration date.
John_Tacos@reddit
Drive in movie theaters are rare. I was fortunate enough to live near one as a kid, it’s an amazing experience.
Drive in restaurants (other than Sonic) are kinda hard to find, but the ones that survived are amazing quality. They are so good that a Sonic moving next door doesn’t kill them (a common tactic by sonic).
The_Ninja_Manatee@reddit
There is a drive-in theater about 20 minutes from my new house and a drive-in church around the corner.
Dark_Web_Duck@reddit
I wish we still had ours, with an upgraded sound system though. I loved going back in the 70's and 80's.
dulcimerist@reddit
They definitely still exist.
Michigan has about 10 still in operation.
In Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit (lots of people) and the headquarters location of Ford Motor Company (big car culture), there's a drive-in theater that was the top grossing theater in the U.S. for a while immediately after covid arrived in 2020.
Diligent_Fact4945@reddit
There's one near me that is still VERY popular. Especially in the summer.
river-running@reddit
There's two that I know of within a couple hours of me. We went to the one that's about an hour away a couple times when I was a kid.
RockItGuyDC@reddit
There are two that are still operating near where I grew up. Otherwise, as others have said, they are rare.
BreakfastBeerz@reddit
Not as common, but they still exist. There's one the town over from me.
BoSKnight87@reddit
There are 2 by me in New Jersey that are very popular for families. People go with pick-up trucks and all sit in the back, you can bring your own food so we usually get a pizza
Zealousideal_Cod5214@reddit
They've mostly disappeared, but you can still find them.
Postcarde@reddit
There's one 5 minutes from my house. On my drive to work each day, I check their billboard for whats playing the coming weekend so I can report back to the family. When the movie is something we've wanted to see we go. Saw Barbie at that drive-in during a meteor shower. Talk about magical.
Chance-Business@reddit
I'd say there's one every 100 miles or so, if you were to give an average. I'm sure there are places that have 2 or 3 within 30 miles of each other, and some places that have none for hundreds of miles, but that's about what I'd average it out to.
Bleh3325@reddit
There’s an 8 screen drive-in about 30 minutes from my house that is still going strong. (South of Dallas, TX.)
KarmaticFox@reddit
Yeah, usually in the summer.
In my area, the local news likes to remind people about Drive Ins. They play Disney movies or something else that's family friendly since people like to bring their kids.
blueboxtravelagency@reddit
We have a local drive in theatre that had a renaissance during Covid because it made for easy social distancing. It still shows double features on the weekends and I hope it will keep going.
GSilky@reddit
There is one around the corner from my dads house.
gsxr@reddit
I had two near me, now one. They’re more awesome than you can imagine. They’re not for people that want to get into movies. They’re for folks that want to have an activity and hang out. Drive in there, park your truck backwards. Make a nice, almost living room out of your truck bed. Folks with cars get out lawn chairs. Kids run around in the field under the screen. (Screen is like 20ft off the ground). During the breaks you walk around and talk to other folks.
Asparagus9000@reddit
Too cold out a large portion of the year where I live.
Some places property prices got too high in the areas they were in, but no new ones opened up in cheaper areas.
hail_to_the_beef@reddit
Baltimore still has one called Bengies and it’s usually pretty fun as a special thing to do. Only open on weekends and they will do double or triple features.
hail_to_the_beef@reddit
Ours here only does maybe 8 showings (double features) through a season, but it’s pretty popular since they build demand over showing nostalgia movies (lots of 80s and 90s stuff, the orginal Star Wars flicks, ET, Goonies, Spaceballs, Bill & Ted, etc)
moccasins_hockey_fan@reddit
They have mostly disappeared but in my area a new one is currently being built. The last drive-in in my area closed over 4 decades ago
Rhubarb_and_bouys@reddit
I went last year. We still have some in New England. It was more rare but they exist.
machagogo@reddit
There is one left here in New Jersey.
Dan_Berg@reddit
In Vineland right? I always wanted to make it there and used to drive past it a lot for work but could never make it there on weekend nights because it was just far enough away to be a pain in the ass to get to and my kid was too young to stay up that late, and now I live even farther away. I think the one in Warwick, NY is still open right over the middle of the NY/NJ border.
machagogo@reddit
Yeah. I haven't been either, but would like to make an event of it. Been so, so long since I have been to a drive in.
michiganrockhunter@reddit
We have one here in Dearborn. It's open year round.
EffectiveOne236@reddit
I think COVID almost brought them back because you could social distance but I don't know that anyone wants to invest in them anymore. They can only do one or two movies a night because they don't have multiple screens.
soulmatesmate@reddit
Just looked it up. 13 miles (21KM) to the closest one. Makes it a bit closer than the nearest beach, need to pass 2 shopping malls to get there. There are several in my state, but it seems like it is searching for something specific rather than a category (named restaurant vs someplace to eat.) If I wanted a regular movie theater, there are 4 closer.
(After some thought) That's actually closer/ more common than I expected. Seven in my state. Much more common than say an amusement park or water park, but if you want that experience, you can have it. I've not been inside of a regular movie theater in years.
brian11e3@reddit
We had a really nice privately owned drive-in theater here before covid. The movies were all pre-2000, but he never charged for movie tickets. Instead, he had a large concession stand that sold a wide range of foods, drinks, and snacks.
When covid hit, he had to shut down. He couldn't serve food when they opened back up, so he started requiring an entry fee to make ends meet. People stopped showing up after that, and then a family emergency caused the owner to shut down for good. 2022 was the last year anyone heard from the owner.
AleroRatking@reddit
We have one about 40 minutes away. It's nice and usually relatively packed. Now that we have young kids we don't do it anymore
I also believe there is another one about an hour in the opposite direction but we've never been to that one.
Drive ins are absolutely still a thing in rural America.
Bayonettea@reddit
There's actually two theaters that are still popular here and get packed pretty regularly. In fact, one was literally just built this past year and seems to be doing really well
As for restaurants, we have a chain here that's called Stars Drive In. It's like Sonic but green and it's very successful
moverene1914@reddit
Drive-in movies, yes, mostly driving and everything else exists though.
MartialBob@reddit
There was one in my neighborhood when I was a kid. I'm 43. It was already completely shut down but the screen was still up. This area was very rural at the time. The same location now has a Target shopping center and is surrounded by houses I could never afford.
Mushrooming247@reddit
There are two drive-ins in my neighborhood, and they’re pretty popular, often sold out.
They are seen as an old-fashioned form of entertainment, but also a way to get a whole car full of people into a movie for a set price so it’s really cheap, and you can bring food and a picnic blanket and have a picnic in the field while you watch the movie.
Courtaud@reddit
they still exist, you can find restaurants Swensons and A&W's, and Drive-In Movie Theatres around Ohio
GoodbyeForeverDavid@reddit
Mostly a relic but some still exist as novelties. There's one not too far from me. After a little googling: drive-ins peaked in the 1950s at ~4,000. Today there are about 300 remaining. So we're 70 years past their peak with less than 10% remaining. In that time the US population has more than doubled.
eulb_yltnasaelp@reddit
I assume you are talking about drive in movie theaters. We still have one in Memphis that operates late spring to after Halloween showing blocks of modern releases as well as special events when they show blocks of older movies.
If you mean drive -in restaurants we also still have Sonic all over the region.
DarkJedi527@reddit
We had one about a half hour away, closed a few years ago. The next closest is about an hour away and I thouht id be fun to drive my classic car there fot a throwback experience, not sure it'd make it though..
Dan_Berg@reddit
They're still around but very few and far between. There's a great one in the PA Poconos called the Mahoning near Jim Thorpe (kind of near Allentown) that only plays classic movies and B-grade horror double and triple bills and special theme weekends. I haven't been there in a few years but you could watch the movies on a Friday and/or Saturday night, camp out there, explore the area during the day, and return in the evening. They also broadcast some awesome music before and between the features.
HeatInternal8850@reddit
Movies yes, restaurants no, we have sonic
KatanaCW@reddit
There's one just a couple of miles from where I live. It's very popular in the summer. We've gone a couple of times and I'm not really a fan. The mosquitos are bad. Both times we went there was someone in a jacked up truck with way too much bass playing the sound so loud that it was hard to hear the movie dialog. The bathrooms were crowded and dirty. But mostly, the mosquitos.
elqueco14@reddit
I LOVE the drive in theatres, extremely lucky to grow up very close to the Sacramento one
NIN10DOXD@reddit
My hometown still has one.
Spoonful-uh-shiznit@reddit
Totally still a thing! We love ours!
North_Artichoke_6721@reddit
There is one near me but I’ve never been
Ok-Turnip-2816@reddit
There’s one about an hour from me. The old-timey speakers you would park near to hear the movie no longer work - they’ve left several out in the field as relics 😂. Now you tune in to a specific radio station to hear the audio.
whatyouwant22@reddit
We have a dedicated portable radio that we take to the drive in. It's the only way to fly!
WatermelonMachete43@reddit
I live pretty close to one (NY). It's so popular they've added screens (I think they are up to 5 now).
Shot-Artist5013@reddit
There's at least 5 that I know of that are still operating in New England. A couple in Mass (one is way out on the Cape), a couple in CT, and one up in NH.
andmewithoutmytowel@reddit
There’s one near me, but the problem is that I’m at the western edge of the time zone, so in the summer it doesn’t really start to get dark until about 8:30, so they don’t start movies until 9:15, which is hard for kids. They’re mostly a relic, but some families have a tradition of going to see them together.
https://www.sauerbeckfamilydrivein.com/
whatyouwant22@reddit
Yeah, yeah, I get it But as a treat, it's worth it to stay up late and have fun now and then. Weigh the cost of being tired the next day and having a memorable night.
SeniorScientist-2679@reddit
As others have said, real estate prices make them rare. Also, the last nail in the coffin for many was the switch to digital projection from film. Drive-ins require special projectors because of the large screens and long distance. When US studios stopped distributing movies on film, drive-ins had to make a very expensive upgrade to a digital projector, or close. Many were small independent businesses and couldn't afford the switch.
I only know this because one of the studios offered a sort of publicity stunt/vote-for-your favorite lottery and gave away a number of new projectors. There's a drive-in that I sometimes go to, and they happened to win one.
skyecolin22@reddit
In the 50s, there were about 4,000 drive-ins in the US when the population was 150 million. Now, there's around 400 with a population of 330 million. So the market has shrunk 90-95% depending on how you count.
My wife and I love going to drive-in theaters and the one "near" us (on an island...we have to take a ferry to get there and then drive an hour) sells out sometimes. We'll go year-round but haven't been since November since there haven't been any movies we've been interested in seeing. We'll probably go a few times later this year.
TheBimpo@reddit
Here in Michigan, they made a bit of a comeback during the pandemic after being virtually extinct. Some older venues got restored, communities rallied around them, and they've become a symbol of summer and renewed nostalgia.
Our official state tourist site even promotes them.
There's nowhere near as many as there was in the heyday, but the nostalgia pull is strong around here. The ones we have are busy all summer.
kalelopaka@reddit
There are still a few, they’ve become a niche thing.
phishmademedoit@reddit
They are still around where I am. Only open in the summer. I have 2 pretty close to me and I'm in the middle of nowhere.
PremeTeamTX@reddit
Drive ins as theaters or restaurants?
FervexHublot@reddit (OP)
cinema
PremeTeamTX@reddit
There's a few around the DFW area that I know of, but you have to take a drive to get to em.
ThrowThisAccountAwav@reddit
The best one is in Ennis. They still only charge 8.25 a film
PremeTeamTX@reddit
I haven't been in years. Are the concessions still fairly priced? I remember ten years ago, they were CHEAP
ThrowThisAccountAwav@reddit
Yes they're still cheap as fuck. Again, I have no idea how they've stayed afloat.
PremeTeamTX@reddit
Good to know. I remember their bacon cheeseburger and fries could rival Whataburger or Burger Street anytime
HaplessReader1988@reddit
The one near us does flea markets during the day time.
ThrowThisAccountAwav@reddit
I think this run runs a gold course during the day but tbh I've never seen it open so I'm not sure
cstrick1980@reddit
The last one I went through to was in the 1990’s it’s been torn down over 20 years now.
Ok_Orchid1004@reddit
There’s a drive in restaurant chain called sonic still opening new places. Drive in theaters are becoming more rare.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Drive-in movies or drive-in restaurants?
Both are fairly rare, these days.
pokematic@reddit
They're rare but exist. There's one like 20 minutes from where I live and I like to make trips to it. They do double features of new movies and old movies. Like, they did "an official Barbenheimer" and last year they did Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and the first one I went to was a triple feature of Bride of Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Wolfman. This theater almost shut down but then was saved by a local couple.
TheNoisyNomad@reddit
Yes and yes. The ones that exist now are mostly surviving on nostalgia.
Are you talking about drive in movies or restaurants? My statement above is true of both even when looking at Sonic.
Metroknight@reddit
They are dying out. There are not very many left. I have one just a few miles from where I live because a farmer took some of his unused fields and turned it into family orientated drive in. It's been popular for the last 10 years with lots of the families as there is room for the kids to play while the parents kick back and relax while watching a movie with various friends. Many people bring camp chairs or such. The audio plays over the radio so some people bring portable radios instead of using their car radio.
amcjkelly@reddit
Depends on where you live. In our area we still have about 6 depending on how far you are willing to drive. We go all summer.
InstructionMoney4965@reddit
They're a novelty, existing only for nostalgia. The actual experience kinda sucks
ZaphodG@reddit
I saw Star Wars at the drive-in in my home town. It closed around 1980 and eventually became a Walmart Super Center. The closest now is a 45 minute drive. There are only a few left within a 2 hour drive of my house.
Personally, I think the transition from bench seats to bucket seats in automobiles killed the drive-in theater.
BeautifulSundae6988@reddit
Rare but they exist. I know of two in my area
Odd_Ball_5124@reddit
Absolutely still a thing but exceedingly hard to find in a lot of areas. There's one in ohio that keeps coming back year after year, still broadcasting the movie on FM radio (which... I mean... auto-shutdown sucks on the car).
I'm going next weekend I think, and if I remember correctly, they still play the concession stand ad in the previews from the 60s.
ThrowThisAccountAwav@reddit
Same for ours in North Texas. It's 8.25 a film and usually they let you combine films so you pay 8.25 a person for 2 films. I don't know how they keep open other than continuing to pay 7.25 to their workers, which the teens seem to gladly do for some reason.
Odd_Ball_5124@reddit
See the one near me, with refreshed original signage, out-buildings, it's in the heart of a major city suburb. And it's it's own legend now. It's a part of that city's fiber and character and it's SLAMMED every night on both screens from April until October/November. Also, where I am, winter is unkind to us and seasonal work shuts down entirely.
callmeseetea@reddit
They exist very sparingly, maybe a couple in every state. Overall it’s a pretty novel experience. You do it once to have experienced it and then that’s enough.
Natural_External5211@reddit
There's several in Virginia the best one would be goochland Drive-In
Terrible_Role1157@reddit
My local one is shutting down after this weekend.
MattinglyDineen@reddit
Which one is that?
Terrible_Role1157@reddit
In Memphis, our “Summer Drive-In” is being sold, and the land will likely be dredged for some crappy strip mall that won’t be able to keep any businesses long term.
Proper_University55@reddit
We have one in my city.
xczechr@reddit
They made a comeback during the pandemic, but seem to have gone away for the most part once again.
MyUsername2459@reddit
As others have said, a few still exist, but not many.
They're MOSTLY a relic of the past, but there's still some. If I wanted to go to one, I'd know where I could go, but there's only a handful around me. They're all in small towns in fairly rural areas, where the cost of living (and operating a business) is low, property values are low (so there's not a lot of pressure to sell the land the theater is on) and people tend to stick to older and more traditional ways of life (like a drive-in theater).
The conversion to digital projection in 2012, when movie studios stopped making movies on physical film, put a lot of them out of business. Digital projectors are very expensive, and converting from an old physical projector to a digital one was enough to close all but the few that were doing very well in their business.
ImportanceNew4632@reddit
We have 6 within an hour drive of the city.
NoSkillSoReddit@reddit
There are two near my house. I don’t go regularly but I have gone in the past. They are fun but not something I would all the time but they are very popular.
Cerda_Sunyer@reddit
I went to one about 20 years ago. We had our pick-up trucks, blankets, coolers full of beer and drinks all prepared. Well, turns out alcohol was prohibited at the drive-in. It's like they were trying to kill the business, most people like to enjoy a beverage while watching a movie at the drive-in.
6gravedigger66@reddit
I loved going to them. Was always a good time, but sadly they are all slowly closing.
LookingBackBroken@reddit
I live in Pennsylvania and have 2 drive-ins with 20 min of me. And 2 others about 25-40 minutes. They still have flea markets in them on Sundays. One shows older repeats, one use to be an X-ray drive in (now family movies), and the other 2 play all new releases. It's still cheap and a lot of fun 😁
Inevitable_Unit_937@reddit
There are a couple. I went once a few years ago to a double feature. I liked it. More space. You control the volume of the sound. I would go again, but it's a bit of a drive to get there.
CrabbyCatLady41@reddit
There’s one about a 30 minute drive from my house and it is awesome. Two movies for the price of one and a great takeout restaurant that has all the movie theatre standards plus pizza, burgers, etc. The food is a little pricey and service is slow, but very nice people and good food. If you have a comfortable car or some good lawn chairs it’s a great summer date night. The only thing missing is beer, security checks cars pretty thoroughly at the entrance, I’ve even had to dump a half empty can of diet soda before we were allowed in.
Oenonaut@reddit
One 30min from my home. They’re a rarity.
freecain@reddit
Still a thing, but absolutely a relic of the past, but also over represented in movies compared to actual cultural impact. Maryland, a smallish state, peaked in the 50s with only about 40 theaters for 3 million residents. I think it gets a lot of time in movies since it's a chance to show off a lot of period cars in a cheaply contained setting. Today Maryland only has one drive in.
I remember going to one in the late 90s, and having to drive a while because it was one of the few remaining drive-ins. It also had a retro vibe 30 years ago.
The ones I've seen advertised are either really old or 40+ years old and designed to feel retro with a 50s or 70s theme. https://sunsetdrivein.com/ home page, which feels 90s to begin with, has a 50s car right in the banner.
https://www.driveinmovie.com/united-states if you're interested in seeing what states still have them.
Akito_900@reddit
Movie theaters or restaurants? In my area we have two-ish of each
thisgameisawful@reddit
We have one that I was absolutely sure was closed, and then when Deadpool and Wolverine came out, it showed the movie. I don't even know anymore. My whole life is a lie.
Haifisch2112@reddit
They still exist. But, as many others have said, they're becoming harder to find with each passing year.
Obviously, streaming and home video played a huge part in the movie industry losing business. But unlike a theater, sitting in a car watching a movie isn't quite that comfortable compared to your couch at home or a big cushy reclining seat in a theater. I'm in my late 50s, and although I still get around very well, I'm not interested in sitting in my car for 2 hours lol
jugglingelectrons@reddit
The Auburn Garrett Drive In theater in Indiana is great. It took some damage during storms these past few years but is being reopened this season!
Intelligent-Invite79@reddit
The one closest to me is about half hour away, they play the new stuff and it’s always a double feature. Not a bad date night to be honest, it’s just hot as hell where we live so we wait until autumn to start going.
Cocksmasher2@reddit
I have a drive in 8 mins away from me. I live in a mid size midwestern city. We used to have 2 until the 90s. It's fun, but I only go once every few years. It's a summer night activity.
pinniped90@reddit
Our area used to have about 4.
One has survived and upgraded its equipment - it's actually pretty good. People tend to bring their own coolers, but going to the snack bar is always fun. It's been renovated but they kept the 1950s vibe to it.
It sells out on weekends. You have to get there early to get a good spot, which is fine because you're basically tailgating for a movie at that point! Best with 2 carloads of people because you can set everything up between them.
Mysterious-Mango-752@reddit
There’s a few where I grew up that are still a thing people do sometimes. I never found the experience pleasant, and while some still exist they seem a relic of the past at the same time (to me, anyway).
Sweets_0822@reddit
Same here. I grew up with a drive in 5 minutes away from my house. I still leave near it. I don't go. It's so miserable. It's better now that you use the radio for sound but back when those little speakers were it - the mosquitos were awful!
Plus sitting in my car for that long, hoping you're not stuck behind some d-bag in a huge truck so you can't see, walking eons to the bathroom in the dark, and now add in cars where the headlights CANNOT be shut off (mine - I've researched extensively - there's always at least a low running light)...no thanks.
ReturnByDeath-@reddit
There’s actually three relatively close to me that all show first-run movies.
revolutionoverdue@reddit
Relic.
Spirited-Ad-9168@reddit
There’s one an hour from me. People love it.
mremrock@reddit
There are two in my area. One specializes in classics
Watcher0011@reddit
They still exist but are rare
yobar@reddit
I live about 20 minutes from one. It's on old Route 66 in Illinois.
ayebrade69@reddit
Yes they exist and are somewhat common. There’s one outside of Mt Sterling in Kentucky we go to pretty frequently
skateboreder@reddit
In the US population is often centered in densely populated spaces and the amount of space that they take up often was much more profitable being used for something else.
Where I live there is one...but it's further east where land is not so expensive.
Same thing where I used to live up north... the land use cost of just not worth it.
I imagine out west or in less populated areas they would be more common because if your land is cheap enough it's probably less expensive to operate a drive in than a traditional theatre and air conditioning and everything else.
MinuteDependent7374@reddit
Still a thing, they were a hotspot during social distancing in my area
EffectiveNew4449@reddit
They're pretty common, especially in the Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Texas area. I used to work at one for a couple years in high school. Worst job I ever had.
alottanamesweretaken@reddit
Why was it a bad job?
EffectiveNew4449@reddit
Mostly older customers being rude, understaffed, and we were in a gang heavy area, so there were more than a few instances where our manager (also in a gang) would have to flash his gun.
Grundens@reddit
my home town has one, it's a must do for ask the summer tourists and is honestly what's keeping the movie theater afloat these days. they also have flea markets during the summer, also very popular
drink-beer-and-fight@reddit
They are around but going to one is more about the experience/nostalgia. We took the kids to one just so they’d get to go to a drive in. It wasn’t great.
ih8atlascorp@reddit
I mean, they're still here. It's just most of them, in my area at least, are used for old screenings and rarely show any debuts.
We have one in my area that is only "popular" due to the high school renting it out every weekend-night for the students to have safe spaces to hang-out. It was pretty dead prior to that, and is surprisingly always active each night during the weekend.
Maximum_Pound_5633@reddit
Drive in movie? Yes, they are a thing. Not common but there is a niche drive on movie industry. Most people go to a traditional movie theater
chalkthefuckup@reddit
Where I live pretty common. There's one 10min from my house.