Harrisburg Drive-In
6100 Allentown Boulevard,
Harrisburg,
PA
17112
6100 Allentown Boulevard,
Harrisburg,
PA
17112
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Closed permanently following a double feature of “Summer School” and “Back to the Beach” on September 6, 1987.
Last season: 1987.
It opened on May 29th, 1950. Grand opening ad posted.
I grew up less than a mile from the Harrisburg Drive-In and saw a huge number of movies there. I also played on the swings in the daytime. My parents would take me in our car, and there were typically double features. The films would often be a few years old, but we didn’t mind. The refreshment stand snacks were yummy, and the theater promoted the refreshment stand aggressively. The speakers that provided the in-car sound weren’t the greatest, but they were functional. One of the main promotions was $1 a carload night. As a kid just walking to a spot at the back of the lot to see a movie without paying, I recall usually being chased out of there a lot by the management. With this coronavirus horror, I wish that drive-ins would make a comeback.
I wish someone could find a photo.
Launched June 2, 1950 by Thomas and Paul Kerrigan who were also debuting their Hi-Way Drive-In in Frackville, PA at the same time.
I have fond memories of this Drive In. My parents took all of us to this drive in, in the 50s. My sisters & brothers & myself used to love playing on the swings which were right under the screen. I later went on dates that took me there in the 60s. I also enjoyed the Flea Market they had there on Sundays. I wish it was still there. I would be taking my Grandchildren. Karns Market sits there now, along with a bank, a Burger King and a few other stores. I miss the good old days.
PS: Click on ads to ENLARGE.
Ads for the Harrisburg and Keystone Drive-Ins, both showing CinemaScope films: View link
They do they are the Kerrigan brothers,, a nice bunch of people.. I was a projectionist when thier father ran the theatre, then they leased it to UA, until the sons took it back Great booth XLs and Strong Futura II lamps RCA sound and a huge generator that sounded like a plane taking off when you started it….
Actually in this case the land was never sold for development of a shopping center. Instead the owners of the drive-in developed the shopping center themselves and I believe those fellows still own and manage that shopping center today.
This Drive-in parked 6oo CARS and was owned by R.Corporation in 1956.
Very true John.
That was a good, clean, well-run drive-in and was open year-round with first-run movies in the 1960s and 70s. I remember seeing “Summer of ‘42” there in January, using one of their in-car heaters. And the flea market was huge, a good Sunday afternoon use of all that land. I recall when that drive-in was really out in the middle of nowhere with hardly any development out that far on 22. Now the retail zone extends way beyond where the drive-in once stood. When the drive-in was built the land must have been dirt cheap. By the time they got around to selling the land it must have been worth a fortune. Land value and the VCR spelled the end of many a drive-in around 1985 or 86.