El Paso Drive-In

600 Chelsea Street,
El Paso, TX 79903

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Additional Info

Architects: Morris L. Levy

Nearby Theaters

El Paso Drive-In

The El Paso Drive-In was opened June 20, 1946. My father was city manager of the El Paso Drive-In, Del Norte Drive-In and Bordertown Drive-In theaters in El Paso, Texas from 1957 until 1965.

Contributed by Ria Veeren

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

ria
ria on February 13, 2007 at 6:16 pm

Check the site below for images of the El Paso Drive In Theater

Ria Veeren

http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/txtelpa

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 10, 2007 at 1:10 am

Roadside Peek has some photos of a Bronco Drive-In in El Paso. I’m not adding any more drive-ins, so it’s up for grabs if anyone’s inclined. There are a couple of nice photos on the RSP website.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 9, 2009 at 8:21 am

I grew up in El Paso and recall the drive-ins fondly. Bronco, Ascarate, Bordertown (I ran a business right across the street behind CharBurg), Rocket out on Dyer St., Del Norte (closest to our house…).

And being military dependent, numerous theaters located on post. Some very large, some super small (Logan Heights).

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on March 9, 2009 at 8:21 am

All the on-post theaters were indoor, sorry…

NYozoner
NYozoner on December 23, 2010 at 11:28 pm

Here is a set of aerial photos of the El Paso Drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.

1947 – http://flic.kr/p/9483BR
1950 – http://flic.kr/p/9483DH
1956 – http://flic.kr/p/9483Ev

rayrojas
rayrojas on March 27, 2011 at 5:19 am

There was a gun battle between police and back robbers that ended up running through this theatre. I’ll try to find an article on it. Some have described it similar to the LA bank robbery where the guys had those assault weapons, but obviously much earlier.

sean_dunn
sean_dunn on January 11, 2015 at 11:51 pm

The men pictured in this photo are John Willis Dunn, Bruce Dunn, and Frank Lanier Dunn. Bruce Dunn was my grandfather. He started a drive-in in El Paso around 1954 but I’m not sure what the theater was called or if it is the one behind them. If anyone has that kind of info I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

sean_dunn
sean_dunn on January 12, 2015 at 12:04 am

Though I definitely could be wrong but they do look a lot alike my ancestors. Just trying to find the theater my grandad started around 1954, if anyone has knowledge on this photo and the people in it please let me know to clarify.

rivest266
rivest266 on July 1, 2018 at 5:22 pm

This opened on June 20th, 1946. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on July 27, 2019 at 3:10 pm

Perhaps the El Paso opened with loudspeakers? From the Jan. 8, 1949 issue of BoxOffice:

EL PASO, TEX. – E. L. Pack reportedly was considering building a third local drive-in as the improvement program on the El Paso Drive-In got under way with installation of a new $30,000 sound system to provide 600 individual speakers. The parking area also was resurfaced. Pack’s Del Norte Drive-In, his second local situation, is equipped with individual speakers. The two ozoners represent an investment of $250,000.

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