Viking Outdoor Cinema
2012 Highway 29 N,
Anderson,
SC
29621
2012 Highway 29 N,
Anderson,
SC
29621
2 people
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Showing 17 comments
Grand opening ads posted.
It was the last operating drive-in in the city of Anderson, despite the other two, the Skyway and the Fox, closed earlier that same decade.
I accidentally added another Cinema Treasures page of this theater so I apologized!
Anyway, the Hi-Way 29 Drive-In opened its gates on August 2, 1948 with Robert Mitchum in “Pursued” along with a cartoon. It was the second drive-in to open in Anderson.
The theater remained its Hi-Way 29 Drive-In name until January 25, 1974. After closure for a few months, the theater reopened as the Viking Outdoor Cinema on April 15, 1974, which in my opinion is a very unique name for a drive-in.
The Viking Outdoor Cinema closed for the final time in 1986, leaving the theater abandoned for decades to come. Surprisingly, despite the projection booth being demolished in mid-2005, the screen tower remains standing until early 2012. The screen tower and the former traces near the gas station was a favorite for residents across the area for a time.
Unfortunately, the Hickory Point gas station that was outside the theater’s site since the early 1990s was demolished in 2020 and a 7-Eleven was built both at the Hickory Point gas station and in the theater’s site. Only a few traces remain as well as its faded shape of the former drive-in.
Boxoffice, April 20, 1964: “J. M. Pruitt, who operates the Fox Drive-In, Anderson, S.C., has taken over the operation of the Hi-Way 29 Drive-In in the same town from Wilby-Kincey Theatres”
The concessions building was leveled and hauled off around the middle of the ‘90s, mere days after a friend and I salvaged a curved-glass candy display case, a stack of popcorn boxes, and 40,000 unused tickets from it. We had no idea that anything was going to happen— we were just prowling through the ruins on a whim.
Looks like the screen is gone now…from street view looks like it came down around 2010.
So the old screen is there.Saw alot of movies on that screen if only for about 4 seconds passing by on the way to grandma’s house.Did get two great one-sheet frames there,but i am repeating myself.Lauren,did you ever get any of the White Horse Drive-in in Greenville.I have a few.
My photos were taken in 2005. I uploaded them now that we have the cool photo feature. I passed by in June 2011 and the site was still pretty much in the same condition as the 2005 photos as far as I could tell. 2012 Highway 29 N, Anderson, SC 29621 gets you very close to the theater. For some reason, spelling out “North” confuses Google.
I have pictures,maybe i can get Nick to put them on for me.
I am not too sure if that was a projection booth.I have walked that lot a bit,Even took two one sheet frames from the old boxoffice,I thought the booth was part of the concession stand nearer the screen.The building shown in the picture was closer to the main road and certainly not centered of the screen.Seemed like a storage building to me.
Wiliam C.Cline in his book about the theatre business in the Carolinas,“STROKE OF FORTUNE” mentions he booked Drive-ins in Anderson ,but sadly did not list the names of the Drive-ins.
Kind of strange looking marquee.Maybe Flea Market was the movie!!!!!!
I would be willing to bet the VIKING had already stopped showing movies,with FLEA MARKET on the marquee.
I wonder if the Viking was also Known as the HY WAY 29 Drive in because both I think are on the same road. Owned by Sanders & Temple.
The Viking Outdoor Cinema is a drive-in we passed by on our trips to Tennessee. In the earlydays it was a family drive-in. Passing by for 20 seconds or so i remember seeing a BEETLE BAILEY cartoon on the big screen. It would late show X rated films with large lights on the highway to keep folks from seeing the smut.
Ten years ago,or longer i stopped by the old drive-in and took down two black one sheet frames left on the box office. The concession and booth were one level, but I don’t know when Lauren Grubb drove by but a few years ago there was nothing but that old screen. Rusty,In fact, when I was getting the one sheet frames 10 or more years ago i don’t think the concession/Booth was still standing.
I walked down and nothing but a cement slab.
I did take a picture of the place before it closed in the late 80’s.
Here is an undated photo:
http://tinyurl.com/35q7xm
A current picture of this theater is here.