Rainbow Gardens Drive-In

CommercialHistorian on October 5, 2022 at 9:56 pm

As a Roller Rink and Commercial Archeology Historian, This very park began as a roller rink in 1924, 2 years later, they added a swimming pool. I have much longer and larger detail about 10 pages long but I can say this singular drive-in screen theater was operational from 1947 to October 1968 because of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania used Eminent Domain taking over to built a new highway but they never did. They auctioned off that month. They even tried to give land back to the operator of the park. So, evidently they shut down everything but not the roller rink. The rink operated until 30th of April 1972 when the fire department who owned the rink did a control burn for fire drill practices and that evidently completely ended the park. The shopping center is there now after they built it in 1994. The original operator went bankrupt in 1928-29 because of a storm flooding (hurricane went thru) and Great Depression. Then new owners bought it in 1943 and this is why they rebooted the park and added the drive in on the southern part of the land. The PennDOT did not finish the highway and was abandoned. The park began with a rink, ended with the rink alone.

Denny Pine on March 4, 2009 at 5:19 am

Scratch the location I mentioned above! I got my corners completely mixed up. The Rainbow Gardens triplex was actually in the NORTHEAST corner of 48 and Lincoln Way, not northwest. The amusement park and pool were on the corner with the drive-in at the eastern end alongside Lincoln Way. The site is now occupied by Oak Park Mall.

I misinterpreted the aerial shots I have of the park/pool/drive-in. My apologies for this rather big goof, but I guess that happens sometimes when such drive-ins are strategically placed.