You might love watching the lights dim at Harkins or crashing on the couch in front of the TV, but there’s something special about the classic drive-in movie theatre experience. Pulling up to a front-row parking spot, tuning into the radio station and watching the projector light up brings back a flood of blockbuster nostalgia. There are a few newer theatres, like Coyote Drive-In in Fort Worth, that recreate that feeling, but there are several others that have stood the test of time, act as historical landmarks and still spark new movie memories every day.
Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre
The oldest operational location of its kind in America, Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre first opened in 1934. The founder, William Shankweiler, discovered the concept after buying a ticket to Richard Hollingshead Jr.’s first drive-in theatre in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933. Eighty years later, the Route 309 staple continues to dazzle moviegoing audiences in its 300-lot venue. While tuning into an FM radio station is common practice in today’s drive-in theatres, it was an innovation Shankweiler pioneered that other theatres quickly caught on to in 1986. Although technology has evolved over decades and the theatre has shifted from reel to digital projection, this vintage spot remains a cherished staple among Pennsylvania's 27 drive-in theatres.
Silver Moon was quick to follow, opening in 1948 in Polk County, Florida. While it was one of the area’s first, it is also the last drive-in theatre in its town. The theatre shows a combination of both classic movies and recent releases on its two screens, with tickets selling for $2-6. If you want to experience movies like the golden days, roll down your windows and listen from the speaker poles that are in between parking spaces. You can pay a visit to the snack bar filled with breakfast sandwiches and movie theatre delights while the refreshment center is decorated with vintage photos of the theatre’s early days. The Swap Shop opens under the canopy on the weekends, selling and trading movie antiques, clothes, DVDs and other cinematic paraphernalia. Although Silver Moon has switched ownership multiple times, it continues to provide great memories under its bright neon sign nonetheless.
Don’t mind the larger-than-life tater on your way into The Spud Drive-In Theatre in Driggs, Idaho. Built in 1953, The Spud stands out with a 1946 Chevrolet truck carrying a giant potato in both its flatbed and in the driver’s seat. The theatre shows new releases and throwback features in the forefront of the Big Hole mountain range — and you won’t know what’s a more gorgeous sight between the two. Besides its full-service snack bar, The Spud is unique by offering overnight accommodations between its four stay-in options. The Tater and Tot camper RVs house two beds each, while the Moose can include four guests in its cozy and comfortable cabin. The Elk, however, is the theatre’s most luxurious stay with studio space, a hammock and a hot tub. Between all of the rental options, you won’t know whether it will be better to watch the movie from the driver’s seat or the front porch.
If you’re making a trip down Route 6 in Massachusetts, then Wellfleet is the only drive-in theatre you can go to in Cape Cod. With a 100-foot-wide projection screen showing back-to-back double features, Wellfleet has been screening movies since “Old Yeller” came out in 1957. Nearly everything in the venue echoes ’60s nostalgia, from the 18-hole mini-golf course to the retro root beer float and milkshake cups. If you really want a blast from the past, they also offer individual monaural speakers that you can attach to your car to hear the movie instead of tuning to the right station. And if you’re in the middle of an intermission, the drive-in theatre also has a vast flea market filled with 200 vendors, which is widely considered to be the biggest in the Cape Cod area.