Warwick Drive-In
5 Warwick Turnpike,
Warwick,
NY
10990
5 Warwick Turnpike,
Warwick,
NY
10990
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Drive-in re-opening under new ownership
A long established Warwick business has changed hands.
Frank Seeber of Holiday Lakes, Montaque, N.J. has purchased the Warwick Drive-In Theatre business and land from Charles Finger and has slated a Gala Re-opening for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Seeber, left, and Finger are pictured above at the Drive-In.
The change in ownership, which became effective on Feb. 15, marks the completion for Charles “Budge” Finger of 52 years in the motion picture business, a career that began at the age of 12 when Budge took a job with Tom and Jeff Wisner at the old Oakland Theatre. After assisting the new owner for a brief time, he will retire.
The new owner brings to the Drive-In considerable experience as a projectionist at a number of Sussex County theatres including the Newton Drive-In. He has been associated with theatres in that area since he was 15.
He is an advertising representative for the New Jersey Herald.
Seeber is active in the Walkill Valley Rotary Club and has just retired from the Kittitiny Regional Board of Education which recently completed a $6 million school building program with the opening of a new school. Mr. Seeber looks forward to being active in the Warwick community and may relocate here at some future time. He will continue the same policies at the Drive-in as followed by its former owner.
The Warwick Drive-in Theatre, located just behind Lloyd’s Shopping Center on Warwick Turnpike - Rt. 94, was established 25 years ago by Charles Finger and George Miller. Miller later sold his share of the business to Russell Eurich, who in turn sold his interests to Mr. Finger. The later operated the drive-in successfully on his own since that time offering the finest equipment and services.
This is a transcription from the Warwick Valley Dispatch, dated March 16, 1977. Used with permission. Posted by Terry Hann at 10:24 PM
Opened on 28/4/1950 with “my dream is yours” and “Speed to spare”.
Opened on 28/4/1950. Reopened on15/5/2020 on screen 1 with “Trolls World tour”, screen 2 with “Bad boys for life”, and screen 3 with “Jumanji: The next level”.
News article and photos of reopening can be found here
Last night the theater reopened under new guidelines due to the covid 19 pandemic. All showings are sold out this weekend.
The Warwick’s web site has an excellent, updated history on its About Us page. Its early details match up with the 1950s Theatre Catalogs. The second screen went up in 1982, and the third must have been just before 1995.
More information here
I have been going to the Fair Oaks Drive In since 1997. The cost of going digital was too much for the former operator and owner. Plus after 23 years of running the DI, he was getting ready to move on. It was a very busy with many cars squeezing in on a nice spring summer night.
I hope that some other operator takes over and opens for the season in April or May of this year. The main screen at the Fair Oaks. Is the biggest in all of NYS
Great sounds like it will be around for a while. Sad about the Fair Oaks
The Warwick Drive in Concerted to digital at a cost of $390,000.00 in Late Oct 2013. The Drive in IS scheduled to OPEN for the season on Friday March 21st. They will blow/plow away as much of the remaining snow as possible.
Have they opened for the season and converted to digital?
Went last weekend. Great place and was truly like a trip back in time for me, err except the prices! I’ve lived in North Jersey for 4 yrs now and only this past weekend went , boy wished I had done this sooner! love the place and it’s quite scenic when the Sun goes down
I lived in Franklin, New Jersey for over a year after Katrina. I used to go to this drive in often.
Mentioned in the NYTimes CT Section about the last drive-ins in Connecticut.
http://tinyurl.com/6ogwv4
There are some photos on this website:
http://tinyurl.com/2ne2sh
Single screen 2 projectors, 20 minute reels and carbon arc in 68'
I was a projectionist in 1968, we showed Woodstock, Midnight Cowboy and what do you say to a maked lady.
This is the closest drive-in to the New York City/Northern New Jersey area (about 50 miles from Manhattan). Drive-ins were once situated all over Bergen and Hudson Counties. Fans of those good old days should patronize the Warwick for a really fun time-warp experience.
For more theater info go to the official website:
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