Aurora Drive-In

13500 Aurora Avenue N.,
Seattle, WA 98133

Unfavorite 2 people favorited this theater

Additional Info

Previous Names: Aurora Motor-In

Nearby Theaters

1949 photo

The Aurora Motor-In was opened on July 30, 1946 with Bing Crosby in “Birth of the Blues”. It was operated by Johnson & Spracher. It was the second oldest drive-in in Washington state. By 1955 it was known as the Aurora Drive-In and was operated by Lou Pressler. It was later operated by Foreman - United.

The Aurora Drive-In was closed in late-1982. It has been demolished and a Sams Club now operates on the site.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 7 comments)

Seattleprojectionist
Seattleprojectionist on May 8, 2015 at 8:53 pm

At the time of closure the Aurora DI was equipped with Brenkert BX-80 projectors, RCA 9030 soundheads, ORC 4,000 Watt Xenon lamps and it was a manually operated changeover booth. No automation ever installed. It still had in car speakers, radio sound was never installed. There had been homes built right up to the property line in the years since the Aurora opened, when the last show of the night started the field attendants had to run around the field turning down speakers where cars had left. The neighbors would be calling the police with noise complaints otherwise.

Seattleprojectionist
Seattleprojectionist on May 8, 2015 at 9:00 pm

The Aurora was also the only drive in located within the actual Seattle City limits. The other nearby drive ins were all in the suburbs.

Seattleprojectionist
Seattleprojectionist on June 28, 2017 at 8:29 am

Added two 1959 pictures of water main installation at the theater. Shots of both the front and rear of the screen. Up until 1954, this theater was outside the City Limits. As of January 4th of that year, the City Limits moved North from N. 85th Street to N. 145th Street.

KenLayton
KenLayton on June 28, 2017 at 8:39 am

Did it convert to large reels? Or did they use 20 minute reels throughout it’s life?

Seattleprojectionist
Seattleprojectionist on June 29, 2017 at 9:59 am

We were using 6,000 foot reels at the time I worked there. Due to physical space limitations, the two of the three houses I presently work at can only use 2,000 foot reels. The Cinerama could handle 6,000’s but we don’t use them, it’s almost all 70mm there when film is run. We are having quite a lot of actual film presentations this Summer. More so than in past years, it seems that the moviegoing public will go out of their way and/or pay a higher price to see film rather than digital.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on November 3, 2018 at 3:22 am

Opened with “Birth of the blues”.

rivest266
rivest266 on July 24, 2024 at 6:37 am

Grand opening ad posted.

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.