Atlantic Drive-In
6733 E. Black Horse Pike,
Egg Harbor Township,
NJ
08234
6733 E. Black Horse Pike,
Egg Harbor Township,
NJ
08234
3 people
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Showing 26 - 42 of 42 comments
The site is in Egg Harbor Township (not to be confused with Egg Harbor City), but during the time that the drive-in was open it would have had a Pleasantville mailing address and was shown as a Pleasantville theater in newspaper listings.
I think that’s the one. Egg Harbor is much further west, near Hammonton.
I’m not sure why I put Egg Harbor as the city originally. This would be either Pleasantville or Cardiff, I think.
I just posted a google earth image on drive-ins.com. You can still see the Atlantic drive-in footprint. The screen was to the south. GSP entrance ramp ran behind it.
http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/njtatla
As a little kid,in the ‘50s, My parents took me to a place just south of the oringinal Atlantic drive-in, called “Frontierland” or something like that.
Hey I heard that they just tore down “Adventure Village” on the Black Horse Pike. We went to “Story Book Land” on our kindergarten trip back in 1958. Thats still open!
Thanks Ken.
The drive-in screens were directly behind where the Towne multiplex is now. Walk behind the theater and then straight ahead about three hundred yards.
Can anyone mark where it was located on a screen shot of Google Maps (or any)? I live right down the street and was hoping to explore about where it was. Unless it was completely demolished and cleaned up. It’d be neat it there was something left to see. Thanks.
For some reason I often have this persistent memory of a summer night maybe late sixties or early seventies. Three movies are playing to a packed house. My mom and I were at the Shore mall for some reason, and I remember vividly the movies flickering on the big screens.
I went to the grand opening of the Grants department store at the Shore Mall, circa 1969. I got a free hot dog and a balloon. I think Grants closed in the late seventies.
I remember the motel was facing the BHP. The Kinney Shoe Store aka: Crazy Ned’s, was across the pike, between the circles, near Tilton Road.
There was a motel where the Shore Mall is located? Did it front the Black Horse Pike or was it set on the back of the property?
Hi, Mike. I believe that the original screen blew down during the March, 1962, noreaster. It seems that it was replaced in short order. At that time, I believe that Walter Reade owned the Atlantic & Absecon drive-in’s. the Atlantic Drive-in & the Anchor motel sat on the land where the Shore Mall (Searstown) was built in 1966. The back of the screen faced the Tilton road circle an said 1400 WOND on the back. Somewhere in the early sixties,“THE FRANKS” acquired the Atlantic & Absecon drive-in’s. They already had the Circus drive-in, in Hammonton, NJ. I heard that THE FRANKS were paid big money to relocate the Atlantic several hundred feet back next to the Parkway on ramp. I heard that the Shore Mall paid to build the new Atlantic Drive-in, with no expense spared. It was sure beautiful compared to the other drive-ins. It was paved and stayed open all year with in-car heaters. A large all brick concession stand, with glass front. Very simular to the Bengies drive-in, near Baltomore. Upstairs booth with new Century water cooled projectors & Ashcraft Super Core Lite carbon arc lamps Tony, aka: “Blackie” Gallina was the main projectionist. He was from Egg Harbor City & had worked at the Colonial in EHC, and the Rivoli in Hammonton. They never had any form of radio sound ever. Just in-car speakers.
Crazy Bob
Wasn’t the original screen that was in the front blown down during a storm which is when they moved it in the back? I never knew the Frank’s owned it from the begining.
I worked at the Atlantic in one form or another from 1969, until 1985, when it closed. The Atlantic was designed by Jack Vogel. “THE FRANKS” opened it in 1966 or ‘67.I saw “Casino Royale” there in 1967. The concession was operated by Berlo Vending Co. (ABC Mr. Dee-Lish)& then Walter Reade Org.
Below is a link to a photo of me in 1984 managing the Atlantic Drive-in. I loved the job so much that I wore suits to work!
http://doctorgrooveband.com/AtlanticDIcrazybob.jpg
“Bidding has ended for this item”. The world mourns.
Wanna buy an old key chain from this theater?
View link
http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/njtatla