This photo is the Portage Drive-In, which was also in Kalamazoo. It matches perfectly the other photos of that drive-in. It could not be the Douglass Auto Theater, which never had a “square” screen nor was the screen next to the road.
I can’t be sure, but the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing.
The drive-in was demolished before 1973, but the structure appears to still be standing in front of the newly constructed, but now home of the Space Walk of Middle Arkansas. Which sells party supplies.
It appears the booth was extended before 1983 to add a garage. However, I do not see any telltale signs of a projection booth such as the square holes for the projector. So again, I cannot be sure.
The marquee for the Capri Drive-In was the only remnant remaining. Having been repurposed for LKQ, a used auto parts store. It was still standing in January 2022, but by May it had been replaced. The original marquee might have been severely damaged by a storm which made replacing necessary.
CinemaTour.com may be confusing the Longhorn with the Starlite Drive-In, which was on US HWY-82 West.
As with 50sSnipes, I see no evidence of a drive-in on TX-8, north of HWY 30 in the 1970 or 1984 aerials.
If I had to guess, the 1984 aerial shows the Tex Inn on TX-8, just north of HWY 30 on the east side. The parking area looks mighty big given the size of the hotel. But that is just a guess.
A June 2023 Google Street View shows the projection booth/concession stand was removed. Only the foundation remains along with the ramps and foundation of the screen.
The entrance is where Hibernia Road Parking is located. The on-ramp for HWY-63 heading north cuts right through the middle of where the drive-in once stood. As of now, there is no address on Google Maps for the parking area.
In the 1955 aerial, there appears to be an auto-salvage yard northeast of Eldon at what is now the intersection of MO-87 and Manor Drive. It has the general shape and features of a drive-in.
And given that several drive-ins across the country became auto salvage yards, perhaps that location is a possibility for another drive-in that existed a few years earlier. Operative word “possibility”.
From the aerial photos, it appears the drive-in had become an auto salvage yard by 1969.
The screen along with the projection booth/concession stand was still upright in 1970. By 1982, both had been removed.
Today, the property has been resurfaced with gravel. A building stands near where the screen once stood with a trailer next to it. For most of the past 25 years, the property appears to have been owned by a trucking company. But it is currently unoccupied.
Apart from the entrance road, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
It’s safe to say that the Desert Lake Drive In has been located. Although it didn’t appear to last long. By 1972, the projection booth/concession stand looks demolished.
In terms of whether the Sky-Line Drive-In existed, HWY 466 is now known as Twenty Mule Team Road. With the railroad tracks running parallel to HWY 466 on the south side, the drive-in would probably be on the north side of the highway right around Boron.
However, a 1972 aerial reveals nothing that I can see which would be anything close to a drive-in. And it does not appear the town has grown much when comparing it to a 1952 aerial. So given that, this may have been a temporary drive-in.
As of December 2023, the drive-in remains in the same condition it has been for decades. One screen still stands, although it is being devoured by nature. The concession stand/projection booth is still present.
The used car dealership appears to be long closed. The building behind the concession stand/projection booth has probably been empty for at least 15 years.
Apart from the movie screen, the only thing remaining from the drive-in is the exit road as it meets the street. It is fenced off from the property, but the final few feet that connects it to the main road still exists.
Despite all the newer buildings on the property, the projection booth/concession stand is still present. Plus, a few partial ramps can still be seen on the south side of the projection booth/concession stand.
The drive-in first appears in a 1951 aerial. By 1971, a widescreen had replaced the old square screen. Plus, the entrance to the drive-in on the NE corner appears to have changed. A new building was added (perhaps a concession stand) and the entrance seems to have been paved.
By 1981, the entrance had changed again with the lane running down the east side of the drive-in disappearing. Given the tracks, I’m not sure if it was still open although the drive-in itself is still intact.
By 1992, the drive-in had been fully demolished, nothing but an empty field. The 1998 aerial reveals buildings on the site.
All remaining traces of the ramps have disappeared. There is nothing remaining to indicate that a drive-in once stood on the property.
This photo is the Portage Drive-In, which was also in Kalamazoo. It matches perfectly the other photos of that drive-in. It could not be the Douglass Auto Theater, which never had a “square” screen nor was the screen next to the road.
An August 2023 Google Street View shows the screen has been removed.
By 1985, the screen was gone.
Today, the property is an empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
I can’t be sure, but the concession stand/projector booth may still be standing.
The drive-in was demolished before 1973, but the structure appears to still be standing in front of the newly constructed, but now home of the Space Walk of Middle Arkansas. Which sells party supplies.
It appears the booth was extended before 1983 to add a garage. However, I do not see any telltale signs of a projection booth such as the square holes for the projector. So again, I cannot be sure.
The marquee for the Capri Drive-In was the only remnant remaining. Having been repurposed for LKQ, a used auto parts store. It was still standing in January 2022, but by May it had been replaced. The original marquee might have been severely damaged by a storm which made replacing necessary.
CinemaTour.com may be confusing the Longhorn with the Starlite Drive-In, which was on US HWY-82 West.
As with 50sSnipes, I see no evidence of a drive-in on TX-8, north of HWY 30 in the 1970 or 1984 aerials.
If I had to guess, the 1984 aerial shows the Tex Inn on TX-8, just north of HWY 30 on the east side. The parking area looks mighty big given the size of the hotel. But that is just a guess.
A Hamilton Inn & Suites was built in 2017 destroying all remaining evidence of the drive-in.
A June 2023 Google Street View shows the projection booth/concession stand was removed. Only the foundation remains along with the ramps and foundation of the screen.
The property today is the home of a solar panel farm.
Aerial photos show the drive-in with screen was still intact in 1986. Whether it was open or not I do not know.
By 1991, the screen was gone.
The entrance is where Hibernia Road Parking is located. The on-ramp for HWY-63 heading north cuts right through the middle of where the drive-in once stood. As of now, there is no address on Google Maps for the parking area.
A closer address is 1348 Selms Rd, Bridger, MT.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, the property is a private residence with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/mrxj3f77
A closer address is 14027 IL-37, Cairo, IL.
Google has updated their Maps and this address puts it right on the property.
https://tinyurl.com/txv472tf
A closer address is 55 NH-10, Orford, NH.
Today, the property is home to a few different businesses. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yx46y736
In the 1955 aerial, there appears to be an auto-salvage yard northeast of Eldon at what is now the intersection of MO-87 and Manor Drive. It has the general shape and features of a drive-in.
And given that several drive-ins across the country became auto salvage yards, perhaps that location is a possibility for another drive-in that existed a few years earlier. Operative word “possibility”.
As of May 2021, part of the screen which has fallen over is still present on the property.
From the aerial photos, it appears the drive-in had become an auto salvage yard by 1969.
The screen along with the projection booth/concession stand was still upright in 1970. By 1982, both had been removed.
Today, the property has been resurfaced with gravel. A building stands near where the screen once stood with a trailer next to it. For most of the past 25 years, the property appears to have been owned by a trucking company. But it is currently unoccupied.
Apart from the entrance road, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The Martin Drive-In was still intact and apparently operational in 1968. By 1972, it was being demolished.
It’s safe to say that the Desert Lake Drive In has been located. Although it didn’t appear to last long. By 1972, the projection booth/concession stand looks demolished.
In terms of whether the Sky-Line Drive-In existed, HWY 466 is now known as Twenty Mule Team Road. With the railroad tracks running parallel to HWY 466 on the south side, the drive-in would probably be on the north side of the highway right around Boron.
However, a 1972 aerial reveals nothing that I can see which would be anything close to a drive-in. And it does not appear the town has grown much when comparing it to a 1952 aerial. So given that, this may have been a temporary drive-in.
As of December 2023, the drive-in remains in the same condition it has been for decades. One screen still stands, although it is being devoured by nature. The concession stand/projection booth is still present.
The used car dealership appears to be long closed. The building behind the concession stand/projection booth has probably been empty for at least 15 years.
Apart from the movie screen, the only thing remaining from the drive-in is the exit road as it meets the street. It is fenced off from the property, but the final few feet that connects it to the main road still exists.
This is not the drive-in. The drive-in sat on the north side of the street. This photo is the south side.
The drive-in has been replaced by a series of buildings, but the overall shape of the property reflects the unique shape of the drive-in.
Despite all the newer buildings on the property, the projection booth/concession stand is still present. Plus, a few partial ramps can still be seen on the south side of the projection booth/concession stand.
The drive-in first appears in a 1951 aerial. By 1971, a widescreen had replaced the old square screen. Plus, the entrance to the drive-in on the NE corner appears to have changed. A new building was added (perhaps a concession stand) and the entrance seems to have been paved.
By 1981, the entrance had changed again with the lane running down the east side of the drive-in disappearing. Given the tracks, I’m not sure if it was still open although the drive-in itself is still intact.
By 1992, the drive-in had been fully demolished, nothing but an empty field. The 1998 aerial reveals buildings on the site.