The Drive-In: More Than Nostalgia
Most of us have heard stories about the drive-in — but do you know how it actually got started? It wasn’t some big Hollywood idea. A guy named Richard Hollingshead built one in his driveway in New Jersey because his mother couldn’t fit comfortably in a regular movie theater seat.
He liked it so much he opened the first official drive-in on June 6, 1933, and marketed it as a place where the whole family was welcome — noisy kids and all.
Like Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a-changin’” — and that hits close to home when I think about the old Marbro Drive-In. It was located on 2121 Battlefield Parkway in Murfreesboro, TN.
The drive-in theater was located right behind International Paper, the former Neil Sandler GMC dealership, and the Bumpus Harley Davidson dealership. My older sisters used to hide me and my little brother on the floorboards just to sneak us in free. 
Years later at sixteen, I was the one taking dates to that same spot under the open sky. I honestly can’t remember the girls’ names anymore.
That’s what made the drive-in special. It wasn’t fancy. It was just real life — families, first dates, and a little harmless mischief. That’s worth remembering.
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Originally Published in the New York Film Academy website
THE HISTORY OF DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS
The success of Hollingshead’s drive-in caused more and more drive-ins to appear in every state in the country and spread internationally as well. Drive-ins gained immense popularity 20 years later during the 1950s and ‘60s with the Baby Boomer generation. There were over 4,000 drive-ins throughout the U.S., and most were in rural areas. They maintained popularity as both a space for families to spend time with each other as well as an affordable date night option.
Drive-ins could only show movies during certain times of the year and were dependent on decent weather. During the ‘70s oil crisis, people downsized their cars in order to save money on the inflated cost of gas, making it uncomfortable to watch movies at the drive-in. To make up for lost revenue, drive-ins began losing their family-friendly atmosphere by showing exploitation films like slasher horrors as well as adult content. The development of the VCR made it more appealing to stay at home and watch movies without paying for a movie at the drive-in.
Slowly, drive-ins began to lose their appeal. To have an effective drive-in, it had to be on at least 15 acres of land. Economically speaking, it became more practical for owners to close their drive-ins in order to sell their land to developers to build malls or multi-building complexes.
DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS: WHERE THEY ARE NOW?
Even though drive-ins are not nearly as popular as they used to be (with some arguing that they will be obsolete within the next decade), there are still drive-ins in business throughout the country. Modern drive-ins vary, but many show current films as well as older films. A lot of them also plan double feature nights. Just like a classic drive-in and a regular theater, they sell refreshments like popcorn, candy, and soda. Some even have playgrounds for families to entertain their children.
For now, there are over 300 drive-ins still in operation. Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania have the most drive-ins still in operation in the U.S., with each state having almost 30 left. Unfortunately, Hawaii, North Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, Delaware, and Louisiana no longer have any that are still in business. But no matter the fate of America’s drive-ins, they will always be a nostalgic and cultural icon.
Here are some drive-in movie theatres still in operation today:
Northeast
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Narrow Gauge Drive-in, Farmington, Maine
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Northfield Drive-In in Hinsdale, New Hampshire
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Fairlee Motel and Drive-In Theater, Fairlee, Vermont
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Wellfleet Drive-In Theatre, Wellfleet, Massachusetts
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Rustic Tri-View Drive-In in North Smithfield, Rhode Island
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Mansfield Drive-In Theatre in Mansfield, Connecticut
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Warwick Drive-In in Warwick, New York
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Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theater in Oroville, Pennsylvania
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Delsea Drive-In Theatre, Vineland, New Jersey
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Bengies Drive-In Theatre, Middle River, Maryland
Southeast
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Hull’s Drive-In, Lexington, Virginia
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Sunset Drive-In Theater, Shinnston, West Virginia
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Malco Theatres, Memphis, Tennessee
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Sauerbeck Family Drive-In, Oldham County, Kentucky
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Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Vance County, North Carolina
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Highway 21 Drive-In in Beaufort County, South Carolina
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Blue Moon Drive-In Theater, Gu-Win, Alabama
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Iuka Drive-In Theatre, Iuka, MS
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Stone Drive-In Theatre, Mountain View, Arkansas
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Stars N’ Cars Drive-in Cinema at John Schneider Studios, Livingston Parish, Louisiana
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Starlight Six Drive-In in Atlanta, Georgia
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Silver Moon Drive-In in Lakeland, Florida
Midwest
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Field of Dreams Drive-In Theater, Liberty Center, Ohio
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Starlite Drive-In Theatre, Monroe County, Indiana
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Harvest Moon Drive-In, Gibson City, Illinois
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Capri Drive-In Theater, Branch County, Michigan
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Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre -Jefferson, Wisconsin
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Sky-Vu Drive-In, Marshall County, Minnesota
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Voy 61 Drive-In Theatre, Clinton County, Iowa
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66 Drive-In Theatre, Carthage, Missouri
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Starlite Drive-In Theatre, Mitchell, South Dakota
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Boulevard Drive-In Theater in Kansas City, Kansas
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TK Starlite Drive-In -Neligh, Nebraska
Southwest
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Admiral Twin Drive-In in Tulsa, Oklahoma
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Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth, Texas
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Fort Union Drive-In- Las Vegas, New Mexico
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West Wind Drive-In in Glendale, Arizona
West
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The Pasture Drive-In Theater, Gallatin County, Montana
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American Dream Drive-In, Park County, Wyoming
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Mesa Drive-In, Pueblo, Colorado
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Terrace Drive-In Theatre, Caldwell, Idaho
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West Wind Las Vegas Drive-In, North Las Vegas, Nevada
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Coleman’s Motor-Vu Drive-In in Riverdale, Utah
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South Bay Drive-In Theatre, Imperial Beach, California
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99W Drive-In in Newburg, Oregon
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Blue Fox Drive-In Theatre Oak Harbor, Washington
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