Comments about Escondido Drive-In in Escondido, CA

Jamey_monroe45 on July 30, 2023 at 9:53 pm

Sorry David!

Now Escondido World Marketplace (flea market).

Please update. Still shaped like a drive-in (see Coliseum D/I for more details…)

davidcoppock on October 5, 2018 at 8:44 am

Closed on 8/9/1985 with “Return of the living dead”. Demolished(date unknown?). Site is now a Marshalls Department Store and a Wherehouse Record Store.

LebowskiT1000 on July 9, 2012 at 4:36 pm

Here’s a cool newspaper clipping showing all the movies playing in the general area back in 1975.

Newspaper Clipping

From this site: Valley Drive-In Blogspot

LebowskiT1000 on May 14, 2012 at 4:04 pm

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_5183eede-9318-556b-80ae-50e3d0c3d80d.html

LebowskiT1000 on April 20, 2012 at 6:29 pm

This is the second and final location of the Escondido Drive-In. Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Union Tribune about it:

“The Escondido Drive-In opened July 6, 1950, at its original location at 755 West Mission Avenue. The price of admission for that night’s feature, “The Boy from Indiana,” was 50 cents. The drive-in could accommodate about 320 cars.

California political hopeful and former President Richard Nixon made a campaign stop at the drive-in that year, and in 1962, a local pastor began holding Sunday worship services in the lot.

Films such as 1959’s “Ben Hur” sold out several times a night. Dan Johnston moved the drive-in to 635 West Mission Avenue in 1967 to accommodate the thriving business."

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/27/driven-to-preserve-drive-in-memories/?page=2#article

MagicLantern on July 13, 2010 at 5:18 pm

Opened in 1956, according to this great new article in the San Diego Union-Tribune: View link

kencmcintyre on January 17, 2010 at 7:23 pm

Here is a 1980 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ydl72jf

preservingourhistory on April 9, 2009 at 6:17 am

Sad News: I received a call from a city planner and the owner of the Escondido Drive In (now swap meet) has filed for a permit to demolish the screen because of cost to maintain. The Escondido Drive In first opened in 1951 at 337 W Grant (now Mission) sometime after that it relocated to its current location and the screen was rebuilt. Since the screen does not meet the historic requirements the permit will be granted.
I will photo document the screen before its demise and donate the photo’s to the Pioneer Room. http://www.library.escondido.org/pioneer

kencmcintyre on March 15, 2008 at 10:35 pm

It looks like they have swap meets on the grounds now:
http://swapmeet.org/

kencmcintyre on June 23, 2007 at 1:37 pm

Featured on 9/13/79 – “Love & Bullets” and “City on Fire”.

kencmcintyre on November 12, 2005 at 6:09 pm

Here are some links:

View link

http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/catesco

Escondido Drive-In

635 W. Mission Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025

635 W. Mission Avenue,
Escondido, CA 92025