Signature Midway Drive-In
3115 Highway 40 West,
Kalispell,
MT
59901
3115 Highway 40 West,
Kalispell,
MT
59901
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On March 26, 1953, A. E. Madman of Columbia Falls and Walter Thompson of Whitefish (who later became the owner of the Midway) Constructed The Midway Drive-In. Smithson & Sasse of Columbia Falls constructed the original screen while the screen being erected by the Timber Structures Inc. of Portland, Oregon. A total of 120 tons will be poured. The screen is 52x33 picture with 60x52 in size. The building includes a projection booth, storeroom, concessions, and restrooms (40x25 in size). Only 225 speakers were installed but with a capacity by being almost 300. It expected to be opened by May 1, 1953, but rescheduled the following week.
The Midway Drive-In opened its gates on May 8, 1953 with Alan Ladd in “Red Mountains” along with “Olympic Elk” and a Disney cartoon.
should be listed as demolished
The drive-in you are thinking of “driving under” was up on the sunset hill before driving down into Kalispell.
It was called the Sunset Drive-In, i don’t remember the year, but it was leveled and a Senior retirement home was build on the property.
Signature Midway and Midway Drive-In are the same.
The 3115 Montana 40, Columbia Falls MT 59912 is the correct address.
Signature Theatres out of Kalispell Montana used to own it. It is now closed and is a flea market in the summer.
The picture above as well as Google Maps point to the following address as being the Midway:
3115 Montana 40, Columbia Falls, Mt 59912.
That should settle things…Maybe not!
When i was a kid I lived in Kalispell and wondered if this is the same drive-in that I used to live underneath. It was high on a hill and I used to look up and see the image on the screen almost straight up. I went there once or twice but all I remember was the Hot Toddy – Hot chocolate in a can.
The other Midway Drive In is also a single screen and is located in the neihboring town of Columbia Falls, Montana. Was also recently there…
I know for a fact that it is not a double screen, I was just there last weekend. The only double screen drive in in Montana is the SilverBow.