Thunderbird Drive-In
6315 33rd Avenue NE,
Tulalip,
WA
98271
6315 33rd Avenue NE,
Tulalip,
WA
98271
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The Thunderbird Drive-In in Marysville, WA. officially opened on May 1, 1959. According to an article (above) in the April 30, 1959 Marysville Globe newspaper, the drive-in featured a panoramic screen, a children’s playground and would be open seven nights a week during the season.
Opening films that weekend were “My Man Godfrey” starring David Niven and June Allison, and “Man of the West” starring Gary Cooper and Julie London.
The drive-in, with a capacity of 500 vehicles, drew movie-goers from around the county for 33 years – the next closest drive-in theaters being the Everett Motor Movie at 75th & Evergreen Way, and the Skagit Drive-In in Burlington.
At the time, the Thunderbird’s address was simply “three miles north of Everett at the Marysville cloverleaf,” also known as the intersection of Highway 99 and the Tulalip Highway (SR 528), and now known as 33rd Avenue NE & 66th Avenue NE (Interstate 5 between north Everett and Marysville didn’t officially open until 1969).
Eventually the Thunderbird Drive-In succumbed to rising real estate values and declining patronage, as most drive-ins did by the 1980’s and 1990’s. It closed forever in November 1992. An automobile and RV dealership occupied the land which by 2023 is a Wendy’s restaurant and and RV Dealership.
Contributed by
Andrea Miller
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Goggle Earth view 1990. Should the address be highway 199?
No — when this USGS shot was taken, the major highway to the right of the drive-in is Interstate 5, which replaced Washington State Route 99 at that location.
Also, the Google map on the upper right side of this page is incorrect. I don’t know how it decided that location… sigh
Andrea..Thanks for update on the road change.The problem with the Goggle Map it does not recognize that address. If it was a good street address it would point to the correct location. Do you have the correct street address for the DI?
Approx. address for this drive-in was 6315 33rd Avenue Northeast, now in Tulalip, WA 98271.
AGAIN (sigh…) Now Wendy’s and the RV park @ 6315 33rd Ave NE, Tulalip, WA 98271. Not in Marysville which is now across tne highway.
Please update.