Swap Shop Drive-In

3291 W. Sunrise Boulevard,
Lauderhill, FL 33311

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Related Websites

Florida Swap Shop and Circus of Fort Lauderdale (Official)

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Bailey Theaters

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Previous Names: Sunrise Drive-In, Thunderbird Drive-In

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 954.791.7927

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News About This Theater

Swap Shop Drive-In

Originally opened by Bailey Theatres in the late-1950’s or early-1960’s as the Sunrise Drive-In, catering for an African-American audience. The Thunderbird Drive-In opened on November 27, 1963 with Jack Lemmon in “Irma la Deuce” & Frank Sinatra in “The Manchurian Candidate”. On July 13, 1973 it expanded to three screens. This is not your average drive-in theater. This drive-in, located on 88 acres of property now has 14 movie screens, a flea market, a circus, amusement rides, and a video arcade. It is open 365 days a year.

On April 4, 2022 screen 5 was destroyed by fire. The Swap Shop Drive-In was closed for renovations by December 2022.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 39 comments)

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 22, 2018 at 9:23 am

There was a fire on 24/1/2007, next door in auto parts yard. Two of the screens were evacuted after the firefighters noticed a 250 pound propane tank nearby.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on June 9, 2020 at 2:52 pm

Looks like this drive-in may have started its life even earlier as the Sunrise. I ran across this note in Motion Picture Exhibitor, Dec. 18, 1963: “A. W. Cook and Preston Henn have taken over the Sunrise Drive-In, Fort Lauderdale, and have renamed it the Thunderbird.”

There’s a Sunrise listed for Fort Lauderdale in the 1957-76(!) editions of Motion Picture Almanac. It had a capacity of 500 and was owned by Bailey Theatre. When the MPA finally rebooted its drive-in list in 1977, the Sunrise was gone, replaced by the Thunderbird Twin, owned by P.B. Henn.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on June 9, 2020 at 3:36 pm

I am pretty sure also that this was the Sunrise, but I haven’t found solid proof.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on June 10, 2020 at 9:23 am

Bailey Theatres, which operated the Sunrise Drive-In also owned several other locations in the south. The other locations appear to all be “negro theatres”, as they were then known. I suspect that may be the reason for the lack of mainstream advertising for the Sunrise. The change to Thunderbird may have been a change in policy or owner.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on June 10, 2020 at 10:17 am

Perhaps “A. W. Cook” passed away soon after he helped purchase the Sunrise and rename it the Thunderbird. From the Theatres For Sale column in the classifieds in the April 17, 1964 issue of Boxoffice: “Large Florida Drive-Ins: Ft. Lauderdale, 700 cars; … Death of partner forces sale. … Call Henn Thunderbird Drive-In, (phone number), Ft. Lauderdale, nights.”

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on April 6, 2022 at 7:32 am

WPLG Just Reported Two Days Ago On April 4, 2022 That Screen #5 Was Badly Damaged By A Fire, Along With The Storage Facility Which Was Heavily Destroyed.

jwmovies
jwmovies on August 6, 2022 at 12:26 am

Correction: Thanks to several hurricanes, the growing vagrant population, vandalism, the ever expanding flea market and the aforementioned fire in April 2022, THIS DRIVE-IN NOW HAS 8 SCREENS!

Please update.

jwmovies
jwmovies on August 6, 2022 at 12:30 am

Another correction: THIS along with the elementary school next to it is in Lauderhill NOT Fort Lauderdale! Same zip code. Please update.

rivest266
rivest266 on December 18, 2022 at 12:10 pm

This this stop showing movies for renovations? Showtimes are not showing anywhere.

Mikeoaklandpark
Mikeoaklandpark on December 18, 2022 at 4:50 pm

The Fort Lauderdale Drive In Movie Theatre is currently undergoing renovations.

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