Creating 35mm prints is expensive when you no longer mass-order 35mm prints. It’s the same as asking why 8-tracks are no longer being made.
Single and even double-screen theaters have been going out of business for the past half-century. And while I am not a fan of seeing drive-ins go out of business, there are strong economic reasons as to why it has happened.
Wishing it wouldn’t happen is one thing, coming up with an alternative business model that withstands the changes the industry has undergone is another. Considering that today multi-screen theaters are going out of business, re-opening some of these older drive-ins is a challenge to say the least.
I’m not sure the concession stand/projector booth is still present. A 2019 Google Street View from FM 309 (the west side of the property) shows a dilapidated building which could be what’s left of the concession stand/projection booth.
But the 2022 view from the south (HWY-22) does not show the building at all. It looks like some additional buildings were added and perhaps the old concession stand/projection booth was taken down.
A closer address is 3510 St Elmo Ave, Chattanooga, TN.
This puts it right on the property. Today, it is home to Linda Transport. The property retains the general shape of the drive-in and the entrance/exit roads remain. But what is most remarkable is that the projection booth/concession stand still appears to be intact on the property.
Most of the property is an open field. The outline and ramps have long worn away. The only trace remaining is the rubble of the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand.
A closer address is 245 Black Bottom Rd, Jeremiah, KY.
This places it right on the property as the church uses the same entrance as the drive-in.
The drive-in appears intact in a 1983 aerial. The screen is on the south side with the projection booth/concession stand and possibly ticket booth all combined in one building on the north side of the property.
A 1995 aerial shows the larger building on the north side gone, but a new projection booth/concession stand in the middle of the drive-in. The drive-in was demolished sometime between 2004 and 2006.
Today, the church sits on the north side of the property with two private residences on the south side. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
This places it right about where the entrance to the drive-in was located. Today, a housing edition sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The drive-in was still standing in a 1958 aerial, although it does appear that the screen is damaged.
By 1969, the drive-in had been totally demolished and trailers sit on the property.
Today, it is an empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The drive-in does sorta sit between Minneapolis and St. Paul, although when it was built it sat north of both cities. So, that use of the word “Twin” would make sense.
And considering that two-screen drive-ins were quite rare in those days, there would not be any confusion about the name.
Of course, the other odd thing about the name is the “100” which refers to the highway that the drive-in sits next to, but does NOT connect with. The 100 Twin connected to the popular Medtronic HWY and would be how most residents of St. Paul would reach the drive-in.
However, the use of “100” may be to differentiate the drive-in from the nearby Hill-Top which sat about one mile to the south and also connected to the Medtronic HWY.
The 1957 aerial is quite clear in showing a single-screen drive-in at that location. By 1966, it became a “twin”.
So, the question is whether this is the correct location or whether it was named “100 Twin” when it only had one screen for at least the first six years of its operation?
The screen was still standing in 1994, but by 2002 it had been demolished as well.
One interesting bit is a rectangular concrete foundation on the SE side of the drive-in connected to the entrance road. Nothing existed in that spot up to the 1985 aerial, but in the 1994 aerial a section of trees was removed and by 2002 the foundation appears. It’s as if something was planned to be built there (foundation for a cellphone tower or small shop perhaps), but never going beyond that stage.
Rather surprising that the property hasn’t been developed. At least in my experience, drive-ins located within growing cities in California quickly become businesses or housing editions.
A 1959 aerial shows the drive-in still intact. But by 1969 it had been razed and what is now a boys home built on the property. Only the entrance road remained at that point.
By 1976, the shopping center had been built and no trace of the drive-in remains.
A closer address is 4701 Avenue O, Fort Madison, IA.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, you can barely make out the ramps on the south side of the property. The only other remnant is the edge of the entrance road as it connects to Avenue O.
A closer address is 18049 Ames Trail, Faribault, MN.
The entrance road never connected with Faribault Boulevard. A 1961 topo maps shows the drive-in connecting to Ames Trail which is confirmed by a 1984 aerial. And while the address is slightly east of the entrance road, it is pretty close.
Today, only faint parch marks remain of a few ramps and the beginning of the entrance road. Otherwise, the property is now a field used for growing crops.
This is the entrance by the screen as seen in the 1955, 1956, and 1960 aerials. By 1968, the drive-in had been demolished where it was overgrown with trees by 1981.
By 1988, a housing edition was put in and today there is no trace of the drive-in.
The “Brooklyn Highway” in the description seems to be the Brooklyn Road which runs from Evergreen to the southeast until it reaches the town of Brooklyn Alabama which is approximately 15 miles away.
A 1956 aerial shows nothing that I can see resembling a drive-in anywhere along that road. If it had been in operation for a couple of years, there should be entrance/exit roads and parking areas even if the ramps were not developed.
But then again, my eyesight is not what it once was and the contrast on the aerial isn’t that great. Still, I think an area that was parked on for a good part of two years should have some indication that it was a drive-in even if all the structures are gone.
A 1956 aerial shows what appears to be an incomplete drive-in at the intersection of HWY 31 and Conecuh County 59 about two/three miles west of Evergreen.
The aerial shows a screen and what may be a small projection booth. It’s possible that this photo was taken before the drive-in was completed. It’s about the right size.
Today, it is the home of an American Legion Post with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Since the property itself was not touched by the construction of I-84, I wonder if the closing of the drive-in was related.
Seems to me that being next to the highway and its exit ramps would be a boon to the business. Of course, it would also make it quite attractive to other businesses who would pay a pretty penny for it.
Today, a truck stop, McDonald’s, and salvage yard sit on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The creek and river are relatively close by, but the drive-in is still a good half-mile to mile away from each.
There are businesses on the site. Including a One Stop convenience store and several businesses just across the road. If the area was flood-prone, those buildings would not be there. That tells me the ground in its natural state becomes a big mess when wet.
Sounds like from the story you posted earlier, the ground itself needed to be paved or properly reinforced and that was not worth the cost. A high water table combined with soft ground would turn the land into a mucky mess without necessarily flooding it.
I live about 30 miles south and on my property are areas that are “swampy”. There are no nearby creeks or standing water, but the ground is mucky because the soil and rocks below keep the moisture near the surface.
Seems the same thing is true about the drive-in. If it was built during a drought which it seems it was (1953 was a pretty hot and dry year), then it might not be noticed until the rain returned.
Creating 35mm prints is expensive when you no longer mass-order 35mm prints. It’s the same as asking why 8-tracks are no longer being made.
Single and even double-screen theaters have been going out of business for the past half-century. And while I am not a fan of seeing drive-ins go out of business, there are strong economic reasons as to why it has happened.
Wishing it wouldn’t happen is one thing, coming up with an alternative business model that withstands the changes the industry has undergone is another. Considering that today multi-screen theaters are going out of business, re-opening some of these older drive-ins is a challenge to say the least.
I’m not sure the concession stand/projector booth is still present. A 2019 Google Street View from FM 309 (the west side of the property) shows a dilapidated building which could be what’s left of the concession stand/projection booth.
But the 2022 view from the south (HWY-22) does not show the building at all. It looks like some additional buildings were added and perhaps the old concession stand/projection booth was taken down.
A closer address is 3510 St Elmo Ave, Chattanooga, TN.
This puts it right on the property. Today, it is home to Linda Transport. The property retains the general shape of the drive-in and the entrance/exit roads remain. But what is most remarkable is that the projection booth/concession stand still appears to be intact on the property.
https://tinyurl.com/2s3w9vtr
A closer address is 1157 N Ll and G Ave, Anthony, KS.
This puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand.
https://tinyurl.com/4cs554rd
A closer address is 1785 US-60, Globe, AZ.
Google has updated their street addresses. This puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand.
https://tinyurl.com/35v35uxp
Most of the property is an open field. The outline and ramps have long worn away. The only trace remaining is the rubble of the foundation of the projection booth/concession stand.
A closer address is 245 Black Bottom Rd, Jeremiah, KY.
This places it right on the property as the church uses the same entrance as the drive-in.
The drive-in appears intact in a 1983 aerial. The screen is on the south side with the projection booth/concession stand and possibly ticket booth all combined in one building on the north side of the property.
A 1995 aerial shows the larger building on the north side gone, but a new projection booth/concession stand in the middle of the drive-in. The drive-in was demolished sometime between 2004 and 2006.
Today, the church sits on the north side of the property with two private residences on the south side. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 3963 N Elm St, Denton, TX.
This places it right about where the entrance to the drive-in was located. Today, a housing edition sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/45253vvc
The drive-in was still standing in a 1958 aerial, although it does appear that the screen is damaged. By 1969, the drive-in had been totally demolished and trailers sit on the property.
Today, it is an empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 3141 Johnston St, Lafayette, LA.
This puts it right on The Grand 16 which sits on the property and uses the same entrance as the old drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/mpsdesft
A closer address is 5485 US-70, Waverly, TN.
Google has updated their addresses and this one puts it right on the concession stand/projector booth.
https://tinyurl.com/yw9rudkw
The projection booth/concession stand was recently removed. It appears as late as the August 2019 Google Street View, but was gone by July 2022.
The drive-in does sorta sit between Minneapolis and St. Paul, although when it was built it sat north of both cities. So, that use of the word “Twin” would make sense.
And considering that two-screen drive-ins were quite rare in those days, there would not be any confusion about the name.
Of course, the other odd thing about the name is the “100” which refers to the highway that the drive-in sits next to, but does NOT connect with. The 100 Twin connected to the popular Medtronic HWY and would be how most residents of St. Paul would reach the drive-in.
However, the use of “100” may be to differentiate the drive-in from the nearby Hill-Top which sat about one mile to the south and also connected to the Medtronic HWY.
The 1957 aerial is quite clear in showing a single-screen drive-in at that location. By 1966, it became a “twin”.
So, the question is whether this is the correct location or whether it was named “100 Twin” when it only had one screen for at least the first six years of its operation?
Or some other explanation.
It certainly looks well maintained in a 1974 aerial. Even in 1981 the drive-in is in excellent shape.
You can see the Skyline Drive-In open in a 1967 aerial. By 1980, it had been completely demolished. Only the ramps and outline remained at that time.
Today, even that is gone with only a faint hint of the entrance and exit roads remaining.
The screen was still standing in 1994, but by 2002 it had been demolished as well.
One interesting bit is a rectangular concrete foundation on the SE side of the drive-in connected to the entrance road. Nothing existed in that spot up to the 1985 aerial, but in the 1994 aerial a section of trees was removed and by 2002 the foundation appears. It’s as if something was planned to be built there (foundation for a cellphone tower or small shop perhaps), but never going beyond that stage.
Rather surprising that the property hasn’t been developed. At least in my experience, drive-ins located within growing cities in California quickly become businesses or housing editions.
https://tinyurl.com/8k58j6bv
A 1959 aerial shows the drive-in still intact. But by 1969 it had been razed and what is now a boys home built on the property. Only the entrance road remained at that point.
By 1976, the shopping center had been built and no trace of the drive-in remains.
A closer address is 4701 Avenue O, Fort Madison, IA.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, you can barely make out the ramps on the south side of the property. The only other remnant is the edge of the entrance road as it connects to Avenue O.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9dcd9a
A closer address is 18049 Ames Trail, Faribault, MN.
The entrance road never connected with Faribault Boulevard. A 1961 topo maps shows the drive-in connecting to Ames Trail which is confirmed by a 1984 aerial. And while the address is slightly east of the entrance road, it is pretty close.
Today, only faint parch marks remain of a few ramps and the beginning of the entrance road. Otherwise, the property is now a field used for growing crops.
https://tinyurl.com/bdd4aj4b
A closer address is 4606 Hudson Dr, Acworth, GA.
This is the entrance by the screen as seen in the 1955, 1956, and 1960 aerials. By 1968, the drive-in had been demolished where it was overgrown with trees by 1981.
By 1988, a housing edition was put in and today there is no trace of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/2p92w5u3
The “Brooklyn Highway” in the description seems to be the Brooklyn Road which runs from Evergreen to the southeast until it reaches the town of Brooklyn Alabama which is approximately 15 miles away.
A 1956 aerial shows nothing that I can see resembling a drive-in anywhere along that road. If it had been in operation for a couple of years, there should be entrance/exit roads and parking areas even if the ramps were not developed.
But then again, my eyesight is not what it once was and the contrast on the aerial isn’t that great. Still, I think an area that was parked on for a good part of two years should have some indication that it was a drive-in even if all the structures are gone.
A possible address is 10367 US-31, Evergreen, AL.
A 1956 aerial shows what appears to be an incomplete drive-in at the intersection of HWY 31 and Conecuh County 59 about two/three miles west of Evergreen.
The aerial shows a screen and what may be a small projection booth. It’s possible that this photo was taken before the drive-in was completed. It’s about the right size.
Today, it is the home of an American Legion Post with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Since the property itself was not touched by the construction of I-84, I wonder if the closing of the drive-in was related.
Seems to me that being next to the highway and its exit ramps would be a boon to the business. Of course, it would also make it quite attractive to other businesses who would pay a pretty penny for it.
Today, a truck stop, McDonald’s, and salvage yard sit on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The creek and river are relatively close by, but the drive-in is still a good half-mile to mile away from each.
There are businesses on the site. Including a One Stop convenience store and several businesses just across the road. If the area was flood-prone, those buildings would not be there. That tells me the ground in its natural state becomes a big mess when wet.
Sounds like from the story you posted earlier, the ground itself needed to be paved or properly reinforced and that was not worth the cost. A high water table combined with soft ground would turn the land into a mucky mess without necessarily flooding it.
I live about 30 miles south and on my property are areas that are “swampy”. There are no nearby creeks or standing water, but the ground is mucky because the soil and rocks below keep the moisture near the surface.
Seems the same thing is true about the drive-in. If it was built during a drought which it seems it was (1953 was a pretty hot and dry year), then it might not be noticed until the rain returned.