The issue with creating an accurate address to this drive-in is that a hint of the original entrance road is still present. You can see it on 3rd Street (State HWY D) just south of the crossroads of 3rd Street and Southfork Road on the east side. But Google Maps has no address for it at this time.
There was no access to the property from US-61 when it was a drive-in. But the main access to the property is 6733 US-61, New Madrid, MO.
So, until the original entrance has an address, I’d say go with the one that works today.
kennerado, it’s certainly close in terms of appearance when compared to the photo. Also, the drive-in is located at a crossroads which was west of Princeton at that time.
The drive-in was SE of the intersection. A 1982 aerial shows the screen gone with a small building in its place and a dirt track around the drive-in. So, the drive-in appears to have not made it into the 1980s.
All traces of the drive-in were obliterated when the Toyota Manufacturing Plant and Tulip Tree Drive were constructed in the late 1990s.
Interesting that the buildings currently occupying the area were the ramps were located are aligned to face where the screen was located. Making the entire layout mimic that of the drive-in which was replaced.
A 1968 aerial shows the drive-in intact with the screen up, but it is quite small. I doubt that you could put more than 30 cars in that small space. By 1981, the screen was gone.
Today, the property is home to Delta Motor Company, a used car dealership. Only the projection booth remains.
The marquee was relatively intact and in good shape as late as May 2018.
But an August 2019 Google Street Map shows the “Holiday” part of the sign is gone, although the structure remains. The same is true for the lower part of the sign that contains the removable letters. It is now more of a framework than a completed sign.
It doesn’t look like vandalism, it appears that the upper and lower signs on the marquee were deliberately removed.
It appears that the building was a real estate office given the marquee next to the road and banner on the building that lasted until at least August of 2016.
By December of that year, the marquee sign and banner were gone and a much smaller sign appeared just below the marquee indicating that the land is a “Rare Plant and Meadowland Preserve”.
This may indicate the land belongs to the county, state, or non-profit organization with the desire to keep the property the way it is.
A 1980 aerial shows the screen gone, so it appears that the drive-in closed sometime during the 1970s.
The ticket booth seems to have sat just to the east of the screen. This would make the entrance to the drive-in between what is now the car wash and Safeway.
The junction of HWY 270 and HWY 271 is the town of Whister which is about four miles from Poteau. A 1955 aerial shows no sign of a drive-in at that location, just housing and some open land. However, if a drive-in was there, it may have been totally demolished by 1955.
However, there are definitely remains of a drive-in at the junction of HWY 270 and HWY 59 which is much closer to Poteau which can be seen in the 1955 aerial. So, unless more evidence arrives that confirms the drive-in was in Whister, I think the HWY 59 location is more likely it.
A 1985 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but overgrown. It looks like it had closed years earlier.
A July 2022 Google Street View still shows the remnants of the screen foundation in place.
A July 2022 Google Street View shows a Cobblestone Inn & Suites has been built on the property.
The issue with creating an accurate address to this drive-in is that a hint of the original entrance road is still present. You can see it on 3rd Street (State HWY D) just south of the crossroads of 3rd Street and Southfork Road on the east side. But Google Maps has no address for it at this time.
There was no access to the property from US-61 when it was a drive-in. But the main access to the property is 6733 US-61, New Madrid, MO.
So, until the original entrance has an address, I’d say go with the one that works today.
The address is 7500 IN-930 East, Fort Wayne, IN.
A 1951 aerial shows the drive-in at this address complete with a go-kart track that matches the location seen in the one of the photos.
The drive-in made it to at least 1981, although the go-kart track was virtually gone by that time.
Today, it is the address of New Haven-Adams Twp Parks & Recreation. The only remaining indication of the drive-in is the double entrance/exit roads.
https://tinyurl.com/4fe38hyp
Found It.
The address is 7525 Georgetown Hwy, Andrews, SC.
Today, it is an empty field with little, if anything remaining of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/yz5fbz4t
kennerado, it’s certainly close in terms of appearance when compared to the photo. Also, the drive-in is located at a crossroads which was west of Princeton at that time.
The screen frame was taken down sometime between May 2017 and June 2019.
The latest Google aerial shows virtually no evidence of the drive-in remaining.
The drive-in was SE of the intersection. A 1982 aerial shows the screen gone with a small building in its place and a dirt track around the drive-in. So, the drive-in appears to have not made it into the 1980s.
All traces of the drive-in were obliterated when the Toyota Manufacturing Plant and Tulip Tree Drive were constructed in the late 1990s.
A July 2022 Google Street View from HWY 271 shows the club has been torn down. There is no building on the property any longer.
However, the marquee still stands and the ramps along with the general outline of the drive-in remain.
555 US Highway 64 works for Google Maps, it puts the marker almost right on the screen.
Interesting that the buildings currently occupying the area were the ramps were located are aligned to face where the screen was located. Making the entire layout mimic that of the drive-in which was replaced.
A 1968 aerial shows the drive-in intact with the screen up, but it is quite small. I doubt that you could put more than 30 cars in that small space. By 1981, the screen was gone.
Today, the property is home to Delta Motor Company, a used car dealership. Only the projection booth remains.
A closer address is British Columbia Highway 95A & Northstar Rails to Trails, Kimberley, BC, Canada.
The drive-in is northeast of the intersection. It has been demolished, but you can still see the outline and ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/bdhxn7nn
The marquee was relatively intact and in good shape as late as May 2018.
But an August 2019 Google Street Map shows the “Holiday” part of the sign is gone, although the structure remains. The same is true for the lower part of the sign that contains the removable letters. It is now more of a framework than a completed sign.
It doesn’t look like vandalism, it appears that the upper and lower signs on the marquee were deliberately removed.
It appears that the building was a real estate office given the marquee next to the road and banner on the building that lasted until at least August of 2016.
By December of that year, the marquee sign and banner were gone and a much smaller sign appeared just below the marquee indicating that the land is a “Rare Plant and Meadowland Preserve”.
This may indicate the land belongs to the county, state, or non-profit organization with the desire to keep the property the way it is.
Although most the property has been plowed and stripped, the east side of the drive-in outline still exists.
The western section of the drive-in is an open field. You can just see the hints of ramps and the general shape is still present.
A 1980 aerial shows the screen gone, so it appears that the drive-in closed sometime during the 1970s.
The ticket booth seems to have sat just to the east of the screen. This would make the entrance to the drive-in between what is now the car wash and Safeway.
A closer address is 1748 Richmond Blvd, Danville, VA.
This is the address of the Faith in God Temple of Praise which sits in the center of the property.
Today, the ramps have faded, but the general outline of the drive-in is still present.
https://tinyurl.com/5n6avsaz
A slightly closer address is 5153 Reidsville Rd, Walkertown, NC
Google Maps has updated their addresses. This one puts it right on the property.
https://tinyurl.com/3p442y9w
The junction of HWY 270 and HWY 271 is the town of Whister which is about four miles from Poteau. A 1955 aerial shows no sign of a drive-in at that location, just housing and some open land. However, if a drive-in was there, it may have been totally demolished by 1955.
However, there are definitely remains of a drive-in at the junction of HWY 270 and HWY 59 which is much closer to Poteau which can be seen in the 1955 aerial. So, unless more evidence arrives that confirms the drive-in was in Whister, I think the HWY 59 location is more likely it.
To be fair the ramps still remain. And the entrance and exit roads still connect to 59th Street.
But more importantly someone is still mowing the field, so it is being cared for unlike many other long-gone drive-ins.
As of January 2022 the property is still empty. If the property is for sale, there are no signs present to indicate it as such.
A 1965 aerial shows the screen gone, although the projection booth/concession stand is still intact.
By 1986, the elementary school had been built on the property. No trace of the drive-in remains.