I-70 Drive-in

[scalebowler]

I thought I would post some pics of the drive-in that I bought my speakers from to show you guys what it looked like. It is a nice theater and I had a great time. I even learned what happens when film stops in the projector lol! The theater has 4 screens and they still have the field speakers but only in the center of each area. The snack bar was old looking but that place was very clean. One of the cleanest movie snack bars I have ever seen and the prices were actually reasonable. I think a large popcorn was maybe 3 or 4 dollars where as if you got it at a regular theater around where I live I think it would be somewhere around 8 or 10 dollars. The bathroom although very old looking was very clean. The only problem I saw was that the sinks looked to be origional and had the white part wear away down to the metal but other than that it was a very nice theater. I also saw in the lower level of the projection tower part they had a workshop set up with at least 200 speaker backs hanging from the beams in the celing. Also the theater is in Kansas City Missouri and is very close to the stadiums incase anyone wants to check it out.

Screen 1


Screen 2


Screen 3


Screen 4

[scalebowler]

Snack bar


Speaker pole


Speaker pole with strange (and really neat) junction box


Sign above drive way

[Kilroy]

Thanks for sharing.
 We had drive ins until i was in high school, and  it's  an experience   you have to um, er, experience.

[rayg]

Very cool pics....I'm a big drive-in movie fan myself... Here's are 2 sites that are kinda cool,  they list all the drive-in's around the country open & closed  http://www.driveinmovie.com/mainmenu.htm and http://www.drive-ins.com/

Hey Kilroy you're from  metro Detroit, remember the Bel-Air on 8 mile, the Galaxy on Dequindre, the Gratiot in Roseville, Mt Clemens on Gratiot etc... I still like to go the US23 off of I-69 and the newly reopen Pontiac Silver Dome Drive-in.

Ray

[mznb1u]

Ray,

I remember most of those.  I grew up on the east side of Detroit so the Bel-Air is the one I remember the best and I don't remember the name but the one that was out by Macomb Mall--or maybe it became the Macomb Mall.  They had the big screens with the neon on the back and some of them even had a waterfall down the back of the screen.  The original screen at the Ford-Wyoming over near Dearborn was something to see.  It was an art-deco design and lit up with neon.  I found a picture from during the day but it was awesome at night!  That drive-in is still open but the neighborhood is a little rough!

http://www.forddrivein.com/

Check this out if you want to take a trip down memory lane:

http://www.michigandriveins.com/

Sadly, most of these have become shopping centers and in the case of the Bel-Air, not sure how many of the stores are even open.  There are still a few left out-state but sadly, most of our kids will never understand or know the experience!

  Tim

[Kilroy]

I too remember  all of those, The Bel air lasted into the 80's,  they used to have a Sunday flea market there, before the neighborhood really slid.
We used to frequent the Van Dyke, the Galaxy and Try Drive ins, There was a stretch of I-75 where you'd come around a slight curve and see the screen , There were always cars parked there, abnnd I figured out they were watching the movie,. with no sound and a few hundred feet away from the end of the lot.

[scalebowler]

Ray,

I remember most of those.  I grew up on the east side of Detroit so the Bel-Air is the one I remember the best and I don't remember the name but the one that was out by Macomb Mall--or maybe it became the Macomb Mall.  They had the big screens with the neon on the back and some of them even had a waterfall down the back of the screen.  The original screen at the Ford-Wyoming over near Dearborn was something to see.  It was an art-deco design and lit up with neon.  I found a picture from during the day but it was awesome at night!  That drive-in is still open but the neighborhood is a little rough!

http://www.forddrivein.com/

Check this out if you want to take a trip down memory lane:

http://www.michigandriveins.com/

Sadly, most of these have become shopping centers and in the case of the Bel-Air, not sure how many of the stores are even open.  There are still a few left out-state but sadly, most of our kids will never understand or know the experience!

  Tim

Is this the one with the waterfall? http://www.michigandriveins.com/gratiot82.asp I would have loved to be able to see that place.

[pepsi-perk]

Thanks for the memories.  Been to the I-70 Drive-In before - there was another one fairly close over on 63rd St. off 435.  That's where I saw a 3 stooges festival and that Texas Chainsaw movie back in the day.  Moved out of that area to STL in 85, so it's been a while.  63 may be gone for all I know.  They also used to have an awesome flea market on Saturdays - bought lots of old brewery stuff there, but now mostly interested in soda items. 

[scalebowler]

Thanks for the memories.  Been to the I-70 Drive-In before - there was another one fairly close over on 63rd St. off 435.  That's where I saw a 3 stooges festival and that Texas Chainsaw movie back in the day.  Moved out of that area to STL in 85, so it's been a while.  63 may be gone for all I know.  They also used to have an awesome flea market on Saturdays - bought lots of old brewery stuff there, but now mostly interested in soda items. 

You should check this website out http://www.drive-ins.com/database.htm They have pictures of almost every drive-in open and closed in the USA. Thats how I found out about the I-70 drive-in and the Twin drive-in in independence.

[TomFromJersey]

We have one Drive-In left in New Jersey. Believe it or not, they actually started here. It's called the Delsea Drive-In and it's about an hour and a half south of me. We took all the kids there last year, the wife and I enjoyed it much more than the kids though. The drive home is just brutal. This year we've decided to find a campground nearby and stay in out little camper there so I don't have to try and drive home. They have 2 screens and always have the same titles as the big theatres.
  When I was a teen we had a choice of 5 different ones to go to all within 30 minutes of were I lived. property value just became too expensive. We used to always sneak a bunch of friends in in the trunk. It was always a great place to go on dates, and double-dates. I know were there is one left abandoned. There is also a huge high-end collectors market for the sound-systems that used to run in these.
  One of my top 3 favorite pinballs of all time CFTBL(Creature from the Black Lagoon) was created with a Drive-In theme. I'ts an American Icon.

[rayg]

Tim,

Cool site,  The Bel-Air was also the main one we when to as kids,  I still got some super 8 film of it from I think from 1980, I like the way the letter had that waterfall effect, also you're  right about the Ford-Wyoming , would hate to get car-jacked in a drive-in!

TomFromJersey,

 I was in the same boat,  the US-23 drive in Flint. MI ride home is  over a 1 1/2 hour and when the last movie ends @ 1:30am you don't want that long drive, so last year we stayed at the KOA that was 5 minutes away.  Worked out good. lately we been going to the Ponitace Silver Dome drive-in, only 20 mins ride home.
I checked  out the CFTBL pinball http://www.ipdb.org/showpic.pl?id=588&picno=8536, I remember it,  still a hot one for collectors. Pinball is another thing I like to collect more of  only got one now.

The Gratiot drive-in was the one with the waterfalls, but by the time I when in the earlier 80's,  I don't think they were working anymore .

Also does anyone remember the Northtown theater ?  it was a inside thearter located on 7mi & Van Dyke in Detroit, I remember see Batman there in 1966 when I was 4. It was very Art Deco inside because it was built in 1936

http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/location.asp?ID=703&type=5

Ray

[scalebowler]

That is an awesome theater! We have a theater like that here in Omaha. It is the Dundee theater and I don't think they show current movies anymore but I do know they show Rocky horror picture show at midnight and they do have some different movies there too. Not really sure how to descibe the movies but it is a really neat looking theater and to think I used to live within walkig distance when I was younger but never stopped by untill about a year ago. This site has some pictures of the whole place. http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/734.html

[Kilroy]

If i ever hi the lottery, I plan to open a drive in theater and  a  drive in restaurant. 
Sorry, Sonics is a wanna be, I mean real cherry cokes. malts and burgers. and fries.
the jukeboxes are taken care of.

[scalebowler]

If i ever hi the lottery, I plan to open a drive in theater and  a  drive in restaurant. 
Sorry, Sonics is a wanna be, I mean real cherry cokes. malts and burgers. and fries.
the jukeboxes are taken care of.

That would be awesome! Sonic is the closest I thing to a drive-in resturaunt that I have been to so I would love to go to something like that.

[rayg]

Cool looking theater it takes you back when going to the movies was a big event like when you were a kid. Now it's it's not that big of a idea ...maybe part of that was growing up!  There are a few good mainstreet theaters still around me, like the Romeo Theater in of course Romeo, MI . It's a little 2 screener mom-pops run theater (http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/13289.html )  that I preferred to drive 15 miles to  because I'm getting really tied of the giant 30 screen multiplex's.

Heard through the grapevine that a Drive-in theater may be coming to Northern Macomb county.  It would be a good place, allot of open land that shouldn't get over developed based on current zoning laws.

Sonic food is very bland.. I been there once and it was enough, it maybe great for some people, but for those of us know how good it can be it just don't cut it. 

Ray

PS  Kilroy let me know when you open it... I'll be there,   H*LL, I wouldn't even mind even helping out.  here's a cool site to check out on how to buid a drive-in  http://www.driveinworkshop.com/index.htm

[bubba]

Thats a cool site... Sad but true....

 

Kilroy.. I'll get on a plane to come to your drive in...   

[SIGNGUY]

We where talking about Drive ins with friends the other night, and one of our friends said she got ticketed for sneaking 2 others in the trunk of her car. SHe was the hauler, not the sneaker, and SHE got the ticket for Theft of services! OOH the Good Ol days!

[scalebowler]

I like that website. They got a diagram for making cement stands to put the speaker poles on in the field and it does not look that hard to make. Might make a nice base if it is not as heavy as I think it would be. Maybe it could be made from wood instead of cement. If I can read the dimensions I think I might make up some drawings and dimension it just to see if I like it. Looks like this one http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/images/drivein/22/I%5Elone_speaker_pole_-_photo_by_www.jpg You know I think I would really like working at a drive-in during the summer. I just think that would be really fun. Maybe next summer I will try to get one at the closest drive-in and work during the weekends. Maybe camp out at some campgrounds friday saturday and sundays and come back during the week. I would not be doing it for the money I just really think it would be fun doing anything there really. Just an idea.

[vintagegamer]

Our local one is "Bengies"  www.bengies.com

[scalebowler]

That is an awesome theater! I love the old cars outside the snack bar.

[scalebowler]

This turned into a pretty neat thread. I really like seeing all these different drive-ins.