Joy's Outdoor Twin
6872 Hampton Road,
Texarkana,
TX
75503
6872 Hampton Road,
Texarkana,
TX
75503
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Joy's Theaters Inc., Leo Theatres
Previous Names: Joy Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
The Joy Drive-In was opened around 1951 and was located just west of Texarkana. An unusual feature of the theatre was the entrance being under and through the base of the 60 feet tall screen tower. It was designed by Bradford W. Stevens of New Orleans. It later became a two-screen drive-in.
It was replaced by "Joy’s Cinema City 6" indoor theater built at the same location as the drive-in, rendering the drive-in obsolete. The sign was repainted for the indoor theater after the Outdoor Twin was no more.
Contributed by
Cubey
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
I found it at I-30 Exit 218
6872 Hampton Rd, Texarkana, TX 75503
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is visible on Google using present day imagery.
Pretty good second feature on Screen two.
Eddie Murphy double feature on screen one, and James bond double feature on screen two.
One of my person favorite “inside joke” double features was “Great Balls of Fire” the Jerry Lee Lewis Movie, showing with “Cousins.”
I know you have seen alot of crazy Double features being a Drive-in Theatre fan like me.Good Story.007 beats Murphy anyday.
In 1980 and 1981, the Joy Twin Drive In was in operation along with the Joy indoor multiplex next door to it. The drive in was not paved, as I recall.
I have some photos I took of the ole Joy Drive In, link below! Totally gone now, I also have some of the Indoor Theatre but I’ve yet to post them (yet).. Enjoy.. RAC Photography - Randy A Carlisle https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=99859572%40N00&sort=date-taken-desc&text=TEXARKANA%20RAC&view_all=1
Perhaps I’m missing some of the history, but a 1970 aerial shows the drive-in completely demolished. Only the outline and ramps from the SW drive-in are visible.
By 1984, the drive-in had been rebuilt along with the indoor cinema.
Today, it’s all been demolished. The field is empty save for the outline of the drive-in, the ramps, and parts of the entrance roads which were made of concrete. The building that stood on the site was completely removed. Not even the foundation is visible.
I’ve got to agree with Kenmore. The 1970 aerial shows a vacant lot.
OTOH, there was an old Joy Drive-In - it advertised in the 1954 (Texarkana) Texas High School yearbook. My guess is that the old one closed and this new twin drive-in was built farther out of town.
I’m very sure that the Joy Outdoor Twin opened around 1973, that’s my wild guess. A 1972 topo didn’t list the theater, but it was listed in 1976’s though. The Cinema City 4 (later Cinema City 6) later opened in the late-1970s and both theaters were operating at the same time.