Clappison Drive-In
59 Parkside Drive,
Waterdown,
ON
L0R
59 Parkside Drive,
Waterdown,
ON
L0R
1 person
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A closer address is 59 Parkside Drive, Waterdown ON.
The address lines up with Clappison Avenue which is quite close to the original entrance of the drive-in.
Today, the property is mostly empty save for the road running right down the middle of where the drive-in once stood. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
http://tinyurl.com/48upct3r
There is a gate(and small walls either side of the gate too) that might be part of this former drive-in theatre?
Looks like the entrance and exits roads are still there? The rest of the site is empty except a(house?) on the(northwest corner?). Possibly some walking trails on the rest of this site?
Aerial photo of the drive-in uploaded confirms its location.
Seems the drive-in has been long demolished and the property now holds something else. I do not know exactly where it once stood, but a reasonable guess is where Clappison Avenue meets Parkside Drive.
Last season: 1986.
Opened on 21st October 1951 with “The daughter of Rosie O'Grady” and “The Bullfighters”.
The Clappison Drive-In theatre was opened on June 21st, 1951 by John Dydzak of Val d'Or, Quebec where he has a small chain there. Grand opening ad posted. history below:
Nice video(sounds spooky though)!!
Here is the video
I lived in Waterdown from 1965 to 1974. I remember heading over to the Clappison drive-in during these years, hopping the fence to take in the show. I decided to take a trip back to it in 1990, after it was abandoned, with video camera in tow. I’ve just posted a YouTube video that’s an edit of the raw footage I shot. I hope historians and other interested parties will enjoy the video. You can find it here: http://youtu.be/rLN3w5EMoqU . Cheers and take care.
In 1964 Golden Hot-Shot car heaters were installed.
I remember wanting to go here when I was a kid but never did.We used to drive by it on Highway 6 going back towards the 401 on a Sunday nite after leaving my grandmothers place in Hamilton.I was fun trying to figure out what movie was playing.These memories go back to the early and mid 70’s for me.
I remember going to this drive-in in 1985. It was being leased by Cineplex-Odeon at the time. The snack bar was very plain, and the picture was not as clear at the other drive-in in Hamilton called the Starlight located in Stoney Creek. One thing I remember is the lot. It was gravel, but it was covered in weeds that were 2 feet high! Cineplex-Odeon didn’t renew the lease for the ‘86 season because they were not into operating drive-in theatres. Judging from how the Clappison was being operated, this was obvious.