Airport Drive-In

140 Frederick Lopez Road,
Santa Barbara, CA 93117

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Showing 11 comments

Jamey_monroe45
Jamey_monroe45 on July 23, 2023 at 8:28 pm

Now the parking lot for the airport @ 140 Frederick Lopez Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93117.

Please update.

Jeff Hall
Jeff Hall on July 28, 2015 at 12:48 am

worked at the Airport Drive-In around 1963 while attending Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. I remember packing the letters for the marquee in a box and using a rope to pull the box up to the the marquee. I sold a lot of sodas and hot dogs. It was a great part time job. Jeff email address:

KingBiscuits
KingBiscuits on January 7, 2009 at 7:34 am

Referring to the ad.

KingBiscuits
KingBiscuits on January 7, 2009 at 7:34 am

Woo-hoo, Bruce Lee poser madness!

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on January 7, 2009 at 6:57 am

The Airport Drive-In at Goleta would be “…completed and ready for an opening any day now,” according to an item in the April 7, 1951, issue of Boxoffice Magazine.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on September 24, 2007 at 5:13 am

Here is a January 1980 ad from the LA Times:
http://tinyurl.com/2nr66u

bojeta
bojeta on July 16, 2006 at 4:33 am

Oops! Should have put my email address in that last comment I posted.

bojeta
bojeta on July 16, 2006 at 4:32 am

I grew up in Goleta during the early 60's through high school in the70’s. I remember playing in my pajamas at the Airport Drive-In as a small child and taking my first high school date there in 1976. Like Keith said, the neon plane sign was beautiful and it was very sad to see it go. I now teach Multimedia at Righetti High School in Santa Maria up the road. I have hopes of having my students build a virtual copy of the Airport Drive-In and have emailed Randy with a request for a copy of those blueprints. Hopefully he will get the email and can help out.

BTW, our Hi-Way Drive-In is still up and running here in Santa Maria! Took my granddaughter to see Superman Returns there last week.

Adios!

AntiqueHunter
AntiqueHunter on November 15, 2004 at 1:23 am

I have much information about this theatre, I have the blueprints and details of construction.

Keithsb
Keithsb on November 9, 2004 at 6:55 am

Those mounts anchored the screen. The backside of the screen faced Hollister Ave and had a beautiful neon sign image of a four prop airplane. That was the first thing to go, then the screen came down a few years later. It was a wonderful place to be. I enjoyed many films there over the years. It is a shame that it has been demolished. The City of Santa Barbara owns the land and is negotiating to build offices or retail buildings on the site.

MagicLantern
MagicLantern on July 31, 2004 at 4:11 am

Actually, I’m supposing those mounts I mentioned were for the marquee / signage seen from the street, not for the screen itself.