That’s awesome, Nick. Looks like there’s absolutely no trace of the Sundown, even back in 1982, which really isn’t a surprise.
4201 puts this theater on the south side of Hillsborough, which has been developed for decades.
You’re not going to believe it, but I remember poking around the 7th Avenue/40th Street area about ten years ago looking for a drive-in. I didn’t know the name then and I almost forgot about it until I read your post. It looks like the 40th Street is totally gone, though there are a few suspicious remnants: the dual driveway off of 7th and an old wall along 10th. Maybe I’m just looking too far into things.
Drive-ins.com has a flyer allegedly from the Tampa 28th Street. I can’t zoom in far enough for the address to be legible.
I went downtown to look at the newspaper microfilms five or six years ago. I remember seeing the East Buffalo listed in the paper, with its address being given as Buffalo at 38th Street. I don’t have the exact date of the paper I read, but I’m almost positive that it was from 1958.
Almost ten years ago, I briefly spoke with the owner of the Ruskin Drive-in. I believe he used to work for Floyd Theaters or had some sort of inside knowledge. He mentioned a Tampa 28th Street drive-in that was restricted to black audiences. He had mentioned that the screen had “just come down,” but, knowing how some old-timers talk, that had to have been +/– ten years or so as there was no trace of that theater then or now.
This web document lists dozens of Tampa theaters, though not this particular drive-in. It mentions the 28th Street, 40th Street, Columbus, Sundown, and that Bonita Drive-in. They give the Bonita an operating year of 1925. This is either a typo as it predates the first drive-in by a number of years or this was actually an indoor theater.
Thanks, Nick. This place certainly is very mysterious. Directionally speaking, I don’t know which corner the theater stood. There is a large empty lot on the northeast corner, but I had always assumed that that was an old trailer park.
Scott, that theater was probably the Dolphin Plaza Twin. It was in a shopping center with a Publix and a TG&Y. It has been added to the database since you left your comment.
It operated in Wauchula Plaza, also known as the Winn-Dixie Plaza. The plaza is located on US 17 South. This is most likely the plaza at 1009 6th Street South.
Picture from 2001. Note the screen for the neighboring <a href=“/theaters/30743/”>Drive-in Cinema.
That’s awesome, Nick. Looks like there’s absolutely no trace of the Sundown, even back in 1982, which really isn’t a surprise.
4201 puts this theater on the south side of Hillsborough, which has been developed for decades.
You’re not going to believe it, but I remember poking around the 7th Avenue/40th Street area about ten years ago looking for a drive-in. I didn’t know the name then and I almost forgot about it until I read your post. It looks like the 40th Street is totally gone, though there are a few suspicious remnants: the dual driveway off of 7th and an old wall along 10th. Maybe I’m just looking too far into things.
Drive-ins.com has a flyer allegedly from the Tampa 28th Street. I can’t zoom in far enough for the address to be legible.
Ad from 1990.
I took this picture back in 2007, not really aiming at anything in particular. This is from when Zota operated the theater.
This is a picture supposedly from 1959. It’s a real shame that we lost this one.
You can drive up to the building in the center of the lot on Google Street View. Looks like the old projection booth to me. What do you guys think?
I went downtown to look at the newspaper microfilms five or six years ago. I remember seeing the East Buffalo listed in the paper, with its address being given as Buffalo at 38th Street. I don’t have the exact date of the paper I read, but I’m almost positive that it was from 1958.
Almost ten years ago, I briefly spoke with the owner of the Ruskin Drive-in. I believe he used to work for Floyd Theaters or had some sort of inside knowledge. He mentioned a Tampa 28th Street drive-in that was restricted to black audiences. He had mentioned that the screen had “just come down,” but, knowing how some old-timers talk, that had to have been +/– ten years or so as there was no trace of that theater then or now.
This web document lists dozens of Tampa theaters, though not this particular drive-in. It mentions the 28th Street, 40th Street, Columbus, Sundown, and that Bonita Drive-in. They give the Bonita an operating year of 1925. This is either a typo as it predates the first drive-in by a number of years or this was actually an indoor theater.
Thanks, Nick. This place certainly is very mysterious. Directionally speaking, I don’t know which corner the theater stood. There is a large empty lot on the northeast corner, but I had always assumed that that was an old trailer park.
Yep, that would be the address. The Gadsden County Historical Society told me it was immediately west of the hospital on US 90 east of town.
40th Street is new to me. 28th Street was a segregated theater supposedly in the College Hill part of town.
See if you can find out more about the Tampa 28th Street, East Buffalo, and Bonita Drive-ins. Can’t find out anything about those.
There’s another picture on this blog.
When you type in 5100, the marker pops up between two buildings. The theater is the larger on to the north, rather than the narrow one.
I was able to find the theater on AMC’s website: http://www.amcentertainment.com/Tri-City/
The theater is located in Largo.
Yep, it’s still open. Here are the current features for 4/23/10: View link
It says 5140 E. Bay on here.
Hopefully he’ll pop in. This theater intrigues me more than most.
Link to one of the newspaper ads in question:
View link
Unless Google Maps is really screwed up, it appears that 33 W. Broadway is a park now.
Scott, that theater was probably the Dolphin Plaza Twin. It was in a shopping center with a Publix and a TG&Y. It has been added to the database since you left your comment.
March 2010.
From my last visit in 2009.
From my visit in 2009.
From my visit in 2009.
That’s very strange. The outline of a former drive-in is very noticeable in a Google Maps view of the address.
Not a problem. I keep finding various ones from old newspapers and other online sources. I just wish I could get addresses for most of them.
It operated in Wauchula Plaza, also known as the Winn-Dixie Plaza. The plaza is located on US 17 South. This is most likely the plaza at 1009 6th Street South.