Lake Park Outdoor Theatre

500 N. Main Street,
Fond du Lac, WI 54935

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Wisconsin Amusement Co.

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LAKE PARK OUTDOOR Theatre; Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

The Lake Park Outdoor Theatre opened in 1950, with the Randolph Scott film, “The Nevadan”. The drive-in was popular not only for its huge screen, but also for its miniature children’s train ride. It also had a playground. The theater was closed in 1983 and later demolished. A strip mall was later built on the site.

Contributed by Bryan

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

earwaves
earwaves on July 15, 2005 at 4:27 am

My orthopedic surgeon’s office is around the spot where the ticket booth once was. I worked there for two summers in the 1960s, selling tix, popping corn, roasting weenies, making change, and even chopping weeds along the walls. I saw pieces and corners of dozens of movies. One co-worker is now a systems analyst in San Francisco, another is a retired school district administrator in Fond du Lac, and I teach fifth graders in nearby Waupun. The owners continue in the movie business, running the successful Fond du Lac Theater on the edge of town. Working at “The Outdoor” was the worst-paid and most fun job I’ll ever have.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 29, 2007 at 6:37 pm

The Lake Park was operated by the Wisconsin Amusement Corp. in the early sixties. The partners were A.P. and N.P. Frank. Wisconsin Amusement also operated the Retlaw and Fond du Lac theaters, as well as the Wisconsin, Palace, Paradise, Layton and Strand in Milwaukee. The chain operated theaters in numerous other Wisconsin cities as well. The information is from the 1963 motion picture almanac.

MrDriveIn
MrDriveIn on December 3, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Any comments or questions regarding any drive-in theater in Wisconsin, please check out my website at
www.drive-inthruwisconsin.com There you will find photos, original newspaper ads and a whole lot more. Or contact me at I will give you complete and accurate information about Wisconsin drive-in theaters, just ask. Thanks, Charles Bruss

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on March 23, 2013 at 3:43 pm

Here’s a 1954 article on their Kiddyland: http://www.boxoffice.com/the_vault/issue_page?issue_id=1954-2-6&page_no=134#page_start

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on January 5, 2020 at 7:49 pm

To amplify BobFermanek’s note, that issue of Boxoffice had a two-page article about the Lake Park’s extensive playground area. It also had several photos, including a fairly impressive merry-go-round near the base of the screen tower.

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