There were actually three confirmed drive-ins in The Dalles. The Dalles Drive-In, the Starlite Drive-In, and the Motor Vu.
From The Dalles Chronicle 1953 newspaper article: “Wasco County today issued a building permit to Walter Eschebeck of The Dalles to erect the Starlight Drive-In Theater east of the city limits near the bluff overlooking the site of The Dalles Bridge. The permit is for erection of a steel tower to hold the screen and 1,500-square feet block building to house the projection room and concession bar. Listed value of the building permit was $15,000. When completed, the Starlight will be the third drive-in theater and the sixth motion picture theatre in the immediate Dalles area.”
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in. It is clearly visible on Google Earth using historical imagery from 1990, although it appears to have already been long closed by then.
jwmovies address information above is incorrect. 1415 W Wilson St is the correct address for the Plains Drive-In, not the Tri-City Drive-In.
Tri-City Drive-In was located at: S Florida St & Tristram St,
Borger, TX 79007
Both the Plains and the Tri-City were open by the early 1950s. The Tri-City was closed by 1960, as it no longer appears in theatre catalogs, and is completely demolished in the 1969 aerial photos.
Plains Drive-In still appears in 1969 aerial photos at the W Wilson St address, and is still listed in the 1969 theatre catalog.
Please update the address for this listing as:
Tri-City Drive-In
S Florida St & Tristram St
Borger, TX 79007
The only drive-in west of Chapel Hill was on NC-54 at the intersection of Carrie Road, which is visible in 1950 and 1955 aerial photos, but is not visible in aerial photos from 1961 or 1964. I believe this drive-in closed sometime after 1955 and was demolished by 1961.
The drive-in was roughly 3 miles west of town on the north side of NC-54. An aerial photo from 1950 has been uploaded.
There was no drive-in visible on Old Greensboro Rd when looking at aerial photos from 1950, 1955, 1961, and 1964.
NC-54 runs parallel to Old Greensboro Rd, so the description in the above heading might have been a mistake.
The new address as confirmed by aerial photos should be:
The Cairo Drive-In was open as early as 1950, since it is clearly visible on aerial photos from 1950.
Also, this was originally called the 5 Points Drive-In, due to the proximity of the intersection of NC-55, NC-42, and US 401, known locally as “5 Points.”
Film Daily Yearbook also refers to the drive-in in Fuquay Springs (now called Fuquay Varnia) as 5 Points Drive-In, from 1950 to 1955, after which time it is referred to as Cairo Drive-In in all yearbooks going forward, with no further mention of 5 Points Drive-In after 1955.
The drive-in at this location is visible in an aerial photo from 1949, and on a topo map from 1947. The 1955 Film Daily Yearbook lists two drive-ins for Monroe, Louisiana, the Joy Drive-In and the Leo Drive-In. More research is needed to determine exactly which name this drive-in went under, during what years, and how early it opened.
Another drive-in on the southside of Monroe is visible in 1949 and 1956 aerial photos, and was located at the intersection of Jackson Street and Buckhorn Bend Road, in the northwest corner. This other drive-in was much more short-lived than the Showtown Drive-In, as it was not visible anymore in the 1969 aerial photos. Another drive-in, the Star, was located relatively nearby in West Monroe, across the river, and closed in the late 1960s when I-20 was built over it.
There were actually three confirmed drive-ins in The Dalles. The Dalles Drive-In, the Starlite Drive-In, and the Motor Vu.
From The Dalles Chronicle 1953 newspaper article: “Wasco County today issued a building permit to Walter Eschebeck of The Dalles to erect the Starlight Drive-In Theater east of the city limits near the bluff overlooking the site of The Dalles Bridge. The permit is for erection of a steel tower to hold the screen and 1,500-square feet block building to house the projection room and concession bar. Listed value of the building permit was $15,000. When completed, the Starlight will be the third drive-in theater and the sixth motion picture theatre in the immediate Dalles area.”
Mahogany Lane
Sweet Home, OR 97386
The drive-in was located in between 46th Ave and 47th Ave at what is now Mahogany Lane, a cul-de-sac of residential homes.
Theater Rd at SE 56th St Gopher Flats, OR 97801
Should be “Lower Smith River Rd”
US 101 at Lower Smit River Rd Reedsport, OR 97467
Summit Ridge Dr at E Knoll Dr
The Dalles, OR 97058
The drive-in is now occupied by a housing development.
3600 W 6th St
The Dalles, OR 97058
Current address for Home Depot which now occupies the site of the drive-in.
DishpanHands: The drive-in you are referring to was the Mather Auto Movies.
CR 27 at CR 100a
Woodland, CA 95776
The drive-in is located on 100a roughly ½ mile south from the intersection of 100a and County Road 27.
Myers Ave at Orchard Way
Myers Flat, CA 95554
The ramps are still vaguely visible in 1968 aerial photos.
Midway Ave at Speedway Ave Chico, CA 95928
Just my opinion, but a blow-up screen inside a parking lot is not a drive-in theatre, and does not belong on this site.
New address is:
Sturgis Rd at Universal Dr Rapid City, SD 57702
Sturgis Rd is also Hwy 79. The drive-in was in the southeast corner of the intersection. The site is now a large man-made lake/drainage pond.
2060 W Austin St
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in. It is clearly visible on Google Earth using historical imagery from 1990, although it appears to have already been long closed by then.
jwmovies address information above is incorrect. 1415 W Wilson St is the correct address for the Plains Drive-In, not the Tri-City Drive-In.
Tri-City Drive-In was located at: S Florida St & Tristram St, Borger, TX 79007
Both the Plains and the Tri-City were open by the early 1950s. The Tri-City was closed by 1960, as it no longer appears in theatre catalogs, and is completely demolished in the 1969 aerial photos.
Plains Drive-In still appears in 1969 aerial photos at the W Wilson St address, and is still listed in the 1969 theatre catalog.
Please update the address for this listing as:
Tri-City Drive-In S Florida St & Tristram St Borger, TX 79007
MO-14 at Apache Rd Sparta, MO 65753
1955 Aerial photo has been uploaded.
Ramps are still slightly visible on Google Earth using 1996 imagery.
2104 Highway 80 E
Pearl, MS 39208
Was actually called the MITFORD Drive-In, being on Hwy 200 between Great Falls, SC, and Mitford, SC.
SC-200 at Park Dr
Great Falls, SC 29055
Aerial photo uploaded.
May also have gone by the names Lucky Star Drive-In, and Great Falls Drive-In.
12002 SC-64
Barnwell, SC 29812
1961 aerial photo uploaded.
11700 SC-3
Barnwell, SC 29812
Aerial photo from 1961 uploaded.
Any information about the drive-ins near Creedmoor? Skyline Drive-In or Butner Drive-In?
The only drive-in west of Chapel Hill was on NC-54 at the intersection of Carrie Road, which is visible in 1950 and 1955 aerial photos, but is not visible in aerial photos from 1961 or 1964. I believe this drive-in closed sometime after 1955 and was demolished by 1961.
The drive-in was roughly 3 miles west of town on the north side of NC-54. An aerial photo from 1950 has been uploaded.
There was no drive-in visible on Old Greensboro Rd when looking at aerial photos from 1950, 1955, 1961, and 1964.
NC-54 runs parallel to Old Greensboro Rd, so the description in the above heading might have been a mistake.
The new address as confirmed by aerial photos should be:
NC-54 at Carrie Rd Chapel Hill, NC 27516
The Cairo Drive-In was open as early as 1950, since it is clearly visible on aerial photos from 1950.
Also, this was originally called the 5 Points Drive-In, due to the proximity of the intersection of NC-55, NC-42, and US 401, known locally as “5 Points.”
Film Daily Yearbook also refers to the drive-in in Fuquay Springs (now called Fuquay Varnia) as 5 Points Drive-In, from 1950 to 1955, after which time it is referred to as Cairo Drive-In in all yearbooks going forward, with no further mention of 5 Points Drive-In after 1955.
1220 W Grantham St
Goldsboro, NC 27530
Site currently occupied by Nissan car dealership.
Drive-in should also be aka Goldsboro Drive-In.
The drive-in at this location is visible in an aerial photo from 1949, and on a topo map from 1947. The 1955 Film Daily Yearbook lists two drive-ins for Monroe, Louisiana, the Joy Drive-In and the Leo Drive-In. More research is needed to determine exactly which name this drive-in went under, during what years, and how early it opened.
Another drive-in on the southside of Monroe is visible in 1949 and 1956 aerial photos, and was located at the intersection of Jackson Street and Buckhorn Bend Road, in the northwest corner. This other drive-in was much more short-lived than the Showtown Drive-In, as it was not visible anymore in the 1969 aerial photos. Another drive-in, the Star, was located relatively nearby in West Monroe, across the river, and closed in the late 1960s when I-20 was built over it.