Goin' to the Drive-In - Grandparents.com

Drive-in theaters celebrate 75 years of window-scratching speakers, floppy hot dogs, mini-golf ... and passion

Despite years of darkened screens, the drive-in movie theater is alive and well — and enjoying a resurgence as a great place to take the grandchildren. In fact, this family favorite celebrates its 75th anniversary this summer.

The first drive-in movie theater opened on June 6, 1933, in Camden, N.J. The brainchild of chemical company magnate Richard Hollingshead Jr., the theater was advertised as a way to enjoy a movie, even with a noisy child. Though that theater remained open for just three years, the popularity and novelty of the outdoor automobile theaters spread across the country.

In the 50s and 60s, watching a feature movie from the front seat of the family car was almost a rite of passage for youngsters. Kids donned their pajamas and piled into the family sedan, watched as Dad perched the silver sound box on the driver-side window,

“Fewer than 500 drive-ins are still in operation today.”

and cranked it up. As the outdoor theaters grew in appeal, playgrounds, merry-go-rounds, and miniature golf courses were added, so children could be entertained while waiting for the sun to set and the opening credits to appear on the huge silver screen.

Of course, parents with kids topped the list of drive-in patrons. Next, were teenagers who would head to the "passion pit" to enjoy privacy while on a date. Finally, there was the lone driver who was sure to have a bunch of buddies crammed into the trunk to sneak past the ticket booth and save money for treats at the concession stand.

After enjoying tremendous popularity in the 50s and 60s, drive-ins waned in success. As a warm-weather-only operation, they became expensive to run as real-estate taxes increased, and the advent of video-movie rentals meant lower attendance at theaters in general.

Fortunately, the drive-in is undergoing a revival, thanks to do-it-yourself drive-ins, which use liquid crystal display (LCD) projectors and radio transmitters to re-create the drive-in experience — be it watching Disney cartoons from the hood of the old station wagon, kissing a date by the light of the dashboard, or enjoying a classic projected on a giant screen while the little ones sleep in the backseat. Grandparents, anxious to share the "good old days" with their grandchildren, are once again piling the kids in the car and heading to a drive-in — and the kids are loving it just like their parents did.

WHERE TO FIND A DRIVE-IN

Unlike the late 50s and early 60s, when the country had more than 4,000 drive-in movie theaters, the actual number has dwindled to a mere percentage; fewer than 500 drive-ins are still in operation today. But finding a place to park-and-watch is fairly simple. Websites devoted to drive-ins and their revival keep accurate track of each new opening while mourning the close of these classic theaters.

Driveinmovie.com, which bills itself as the "internet focal point for drive-in movie theatres," has a state-by-state listing of currently operating drive-ins. Just click on your state, and you'll see a list of the state's drive-ins, along with a bit of their history and, when available, a link to the theater’s current line-up.

Known as "the definitive resource for drive-in information," Drive-Ins.com features a "drive-in database" that includes almost 5,000 drive-in sites. You can search for opened or closed drive-ins, or check both to find out about those "passion pits."