A closer address is 8147 Winfield Rd, Winfield, WV.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right next to the property.
A 1984 aerial shows the screen up, but the projection booth/concession stand torn down.
Today, the property is owned by Twin River, a lumber company, but the entire area where the drive-in sat is undeveloped and overgrown. No trace of the drive-in remains.
The 1970 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but it doesn’t appear open because there is debris on the property.
By 1974, the projection booth/concession stand is no longer present.
Furthermore, I-20 is close, but does not cross the property. In fact, it appears the drive-in was long closed years before highway construction began in the area.
Today, a large part of the property is still open and undeveloped, but there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 630 Grant Ave, Junction City, KS.
This address places it right where the screen was located. Today, the property consists of a strip mall in the front which appears to be empty. And a housing edition in the back.
It seems a little strange to me that the city would extend a road into the property which has yet to be developed. It’s been about 15 years since Guthrie road was created, so perhaps there were plans in place that have been delayed or cancelled.
It is possible that at some point Guthrie Road may be continued through the property until it connects with Interstate 30.
In any event, Guthrie Road takes the place of the original entrance which now has a Captain D’s sitting on it. Otherwise, the property remains untouched with the ramps still clearly in place. It seems an ideal setting for a drive-in as it is surrounded by trees and a couple of businesses. But I highly doubt it will ever open as a drive-in again even if the possibility remains.
A closer address is 11395 Brookpark Rd, Parma, OH.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the entrance road.
Today, the entrance road contains Public Storage. However, most of the property is still undeveloped and you can see the ramps and what is left of the projection booth/concession stand.
A closer address is 8908 S Central Ave, Hamlin, TX.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property. Although the original entrance road that connects to US-83 is still present, there is no address on Google Maps for that.
By 1984, the drive-in had been totally demolished and a house built. But you can still make out the parch marks of the ramps on the southside of the property.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
The drive-in is intact in 1973, although trees and shrubs virtually surround the screen. By 1983, the drive-in was demolished with the projection booth being the only remnant still standing today.
MichaelKilgore - If your information is correct, then the drive-in at 4665 NC-211 is probably the Model Drive-In.
It does seem that the 1960 aerial of the Model Drive-In is accurate in terms of its date since it was clearly demolished save for the projection booth.
However, I cannot explain how a tree which was not there in 1955 grew to such sizable proportions in less than five years. But perhaps that is a mystery best left to others to solve.
The correct address is 3087 W 5th St, Lumberton, NC.
It appears intact and operational in 1955 and 1960. It’s still intact in 1971, but does not appear operational. The clincher is that the drive-in is located at the intersection of West 5th Street and Starlite Drive, so I highly doubt it is a coincidence.
Today, it is mostly empty with only hints that ramps once existed on the property.
The drive-in at 4665 NC-211, Lumberton, NC is a different drive-in. It’s not the “original” site of the Starlite because it’s on the wrong highway and east of Lumberton, not west as the ad states.
I’m not sure what you mean by “distorted” as I’ve seen plenty of aerials that are not 100% clear.
I have yet to run across an aerial that was not properly dated by NETR because the photographs themselves are time and date stamped when they were shot. I had to use such a photo to prove that another drive-in received its second screen 10 years before the description on this site stated it happened.
Having said that, this may be an exception not because of the condition of the aerial, but because there is a large tree present at the back of the drive-in behind where the ticket booth used to be.
Trees of that size take several years to grow. And since the 1955 aerial shows no such tree at all, then NETR might’ve messed this one up.
This puts it right where the entrance road use to be. Today, the property connects to Malone Road.
A 1983 aerial shows the drive-in had been closed for some time, but it was still intact. A decade later, the drive-in was totally demolished. Today, there are no traces of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 5544 Marianna Hwy, Donalsonville, GA.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the entrance road.
A 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but by 1974 the screen was gone and replaced by the church. The projection booth/concession stand was removed as well.
Apart from the entrance and exit roads which are in use by the church and a private home respectively, only the general outline of the drive-in remains.
A closer address is 15375 Old Bloomfield Rd, Dexter, MO.
This puts it next to where the projection booth/concession stand once stood. A large part of the drive-in now sits under MO-25 since two more lanes were added at some point between 1962 and 1979.
A closer address is 1420 W Business U.S. 60, Dexter, MO.
This puts it right next to the old entrance road. From the aerial photos, it was demolished between 1980 and 1985. Leaving only the projection booth/concession stand which is still present today.
A closer address is 15302 SC-200, Great Falls, SC.
A 1955 aerial shows the drive-in looking fairly new. With the ticket booth near the screen and one along the exit road.
By 1964, the drive-in was clearly closed with the residential streets constructed. The screen and projection booth were still standing. By 1983, it had been completely demolished with no trace remaining.
From 1955 to 1969, the drive-in had an exit road that connected to Searcy Avenue. The 1955 aerial shows what appears to be a ticket booth where the road meets the drive-in. It’s certainly a structure identical to the ticket booth near the screen, but I cannot say what it was used for.
The advertisement lists the Iris Drive-In as being on Memorial Drive.
The only drive-in on Memorial Drive, which runs for just a few miles, is the Spaulding Drive-In.
Either the two drive-ins are the same OR the Spaulding Drive-In was located somewhere else. And wherever that was, I cannot find another drive-in around Griffin, GA in the 1962 aerial. That doesn’t mean another drive-in did not exist, but if it did I have yet to find it.
A 1986 aerial shows the drive-in was totally demolished and replaced by a couple of businesses.
By 2003, the entire area, including a housing edition, was razed. Today, it is all open country with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 8147 Winfield Rd, Winfield, WV.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right next to the property.
A 1984 aerial shows the screen up, but the projection booth/concession stand torn down.
Today, the property is owned by Twin River, a lumber company, but the entire area where the drive-in sat is undeveloped and overgrown. No trace of the drive-in remains.
https://tinyurl.com/d9j5esr4
The 1970 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but it doesn’t appear open because there is debris on the property. By 1974, the projection booth/concession stand is no longer present.
Furthermore, I-20 is close, but does not cross the property. In fact, it appears the drive-in was long closed years before highway construction began in the area.
Today, a large part of the property is still open and undeveloped, but there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
You can just see hints of a few ramps in the 1971 aerial. But the entire property eventually became an orchard.
A closer address is 2158 Fair Rd, Abilene, KS.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand which is still standing.
https://tinyurl.com/yc2rr9yv
A closer address is 630 Grant Ave, Junction City, KS.
This address places it right where the screen was located. Today, the property consists of a strip mall in the front which appears to be empty. And a housing edition in the back.
https://tinyurl.com/54hrsssc
It seems a little strange to me that the city would extend a road into the property which has yet to be developed. It’s been about 15 years since Guthrie road was created, so perhaps there were plans in place that have been delayed or cancelled.
It is possible that at some point Guthrie Road may be continued through the property until it connects with Interstate 30.
In any event, Guthrie Road takes the place of the original entrance which now has a Captain D’s sitting on it. Otherwise, the property remains untouched with the ramps still clearly in place. It seems an ideal setting for a drive-in as it is surrounded by trees and a couple of businesses. But I highly doubt it will ever open as a drive-in again even if the possibility remains.
A closer address is 11395 Brookpark Rd, Parma, OH.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the entrance road.
Today, the entrance road contains Public Storage. However, most of the property is still undeveloped and you can see the ramps and what is left of the projection booth/concession stand.
https://tinyurl.com/3xhz5sv8
A closer address is 1311 Cumberland Falls Rd, Corbin, KY.
Google Maps has updated their address and this puts it on the south side on the road where the drive-in was located.
https://tinyurl.com/2spvmmtj
A closer address is 8908 S Central Ave, Hamlin, TX.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property. Although the original entrance road that connects to US-83 is still present, there is no address on Google Maps for that.
By 1984, the drive-in had been totally demolished and a house built. But you can still make out the parch marks of the ramps on the southside of the property.
https://tinyurl.com/yps4wbak
A closer address is 810 Theatre Rd, Lemmon, SD.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
The drive-in is intact in 1973, although trees and shrubs virtually surround the screen. By 1983, the drive-in was demolished with the projection booth being the only remnant still standing today.
https://tinyurl.com/muwtdzfe
That is one mystery solved. That fast-growing tree is next. And it still appears to be there. ;)
MichaelKilgore - If your information is correct, then the drive-in at 4665 NC-211 is probably the Model Drive-In.
It does seem that the 1960 aerial of the Model Drive-In is accurate in terms of its date since it was clearly demolished save for the projection booth.
However, I cannot explain how a tree which was not there in 1955 grew to such sizable proportions in less than five years. But perhaps that is a mystery best left to others to solve.
The correct address is 3087 W 5th St, Lumberton, NC.
It appears intact and operational in 1955 and 1960. It’s still intact in 1971, but does not appear operational. The clincher is that the drive-in is located at the intersection of West 5th Street and Starlite Drive, so I highly doubt it is a coincidence.
Today, it is mostly empty with only hints that ramps once existed on the property.
The drive-in at 4665 NC-211, Lumberton, NC is a different drive-in. It’s not the “original” site of the Starlite because it’s on the wrong highway and east of Lumberton, not west as the ad states.
https://tinyurl.com/4p3e2kmn
I’m not sure what you mean by “distorted” as I’ve seen plenty of aerials that are not 100% clear.
I have yet to run across an aerial that was not properly dated by NETR because the photographs themselves are time and date stamped when they were shot. I had to use such a photo to prove that another drive-in received its second screen 10 years before the description on this site stated it happened.
Having said that, this may be an exception not because of the condition of the aerial, but because there is a large tree present at the back of the drive-in behind where the ticket booth used to be.
Trees of that size take several years to grow. And since the 1955 aerial shows no such tree at all, then NETR might’ve messed this one up.
This drive-in appears to have closed in the 1950s as a 1960 aerial shows the screen is gone.
A closer address is 1600 N Main St, Blakely, GA.
This puts it right where the entrance road use to be. Today, the property connects to Malone Road.
A 1983 aerial shows the drive-in had been closed for some time, but it was still intact. A decade later, the drive-in was totally demolished. Today, there are no traces of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/599bctuu
A closer address is 5544 Marianna Hwy, Donalsonville, GA.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the entrance road.
A 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact, but by 1974 the screen was gone and replaced by the church. The projection booth/concession stand was removed as well.
Apart from the entrance and exit roads which are in use by the church and a private home respectively, only the general outline of the drive-in remains.
https://tinyurl.com/bddcrarj
A closer address is 15375 Old Bloomfield Rd, Dexter, MO.
This puts it next to where the projection booth/concession stand once stood. A large part of the drive-in now sits under MO-25 since two more lanes were added at some point between 1962 and 1979.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/ywzwzb5b
A closer address is 1420 W Business U.S. 60, Dexter, MO.
This puts it right next to the old entrance road. From the aerial photos, it was demolished between 1980 and 1985. Leaving only the projection booth/concession stand which is still present today.
https://tinyurl.com/2kdbsmak
Interestingly enough, there aerials from 1950 and 1951 available on NETR.
The 1950 aerial shows a mostly completed drive-in, but no projector booth. The 1951 aerial does show a projector booth.
Since the 1950 aerial shows leaves on the trees, it means that what MichaelKilgore discovered is not contradicted by the aerial photos.
A closer address is 1406 6th St SW, Warren, OH.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it on the property.
Today, the property is empty and overgrown. But you can still see slight traces of the drive-in in terms of the outline and hints of ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/bddwn38d
A closer address is 15302 SC-200, Great Falls, SC.
A 1955 aerial shows the drive-in looking fairly new. With the ticket booth near the screen and one along the exit road.
By 1964, the drive-in was clearly closed with the residential streets constructed. The screen and projection booth were still standing. By 1983, it had been completely demolished with no trace remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/4edd36p5
From 1955 to 1969, the drive-in had an exit road that connected to Searcy Avenue. The 1955 aerial shows what appears to be a ticket booth where the road meets the drive-in. It’s certainly a structure identical to the ticket booth near the screen, but I cannot say what it was used for.
By 1973, the exit road had vanished.
The advertisement lists the Iris Drive-In as being on Memorial Drive.
The only drive-in on Memorial Drive, which runs for just a few miles, is the Spaulding Drive-In.
Either the two drive-ins are the same OR the Spaulding Drive-In was located somewhere else. And wherever that was, I cannot find another drive-in around Griffin, GA in the 1962 aerial. That doesn’t mean another drive-in did not exist, but if it did I have yet to find it.