Milford Drive-In
531 Elm Street,
Milford,
NH
03055
531 Elm Street,
Milford,
NH
03055
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The International Motion Picture Almanacs on my shelf line up very well with the official history from my previous post. It also shows how slowly the IMPAs responded to changes that it continued showing the Milford as a single screen in its last national drive-in list in its 1988 edition.
1959: not listed.
1961-63: owner/operator Sidney Goodridge, capacity 300.
1969-76: 300.
1982: Fall Riv., 300.
1984-88: R. Scharmett, 1 screen.
From the Milford’s About Us page:
The Milford Drive-In was built in 1958 and owned by a local group of people. Several area contractors contributed labor and materials during construction hoping for a share of future profits. The drive-in opened as a single screen theater with an 84 foot wooden frame screen, a combination concession, projection, and restroom building, a box office and a playground. During the 1960’s the drive-in was leased to and managed by another couple.
In 1969, the Scharmett family purchased the drive-in from the original owners and they have operated it continuously since then, except for three years during the 1970’s when the business was leased to Fall River Theater Corporation. Some of the many improvements the Scharmett’s have made over the years include: completely renovating the concession and restrooms, installing a new steel screen to replace the original wooden structure, building a new marquee, building a new box office, paving the entrance road, and being the first drive-in in New Hampshire to provide both AM and FM radio sound to its customers.
In 1984, the drive-in became a twin when additional acreage was cleared and a second screen was added. A second floor was constructed above the original building to provide room for a new projection room. At the same time the drive-in’s projection equipment was upgraded and continues to be upgraded to meet the growing technology demands of a modern operation.
Today, the Milford Drive-In is the only remaining drive-in theater in southern New Hampshire. Our patrons often drive from great distances just to enjoy the nostalgia, fun times, great food, and first run movies under the stars.
Quick Link
Link to New Hampshire Union Leader story on this drive-in: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20150804/NEWHAMPSHIRE02/150809762
I went last night to see Tammy and Jersey Boys. Drive In is digital and they show a lot of the old drive in clips to welcome you for attending, PIK bug coil. But the intermission reel starts at the 5 minute mark not the 10 minute mark due to the digital ads. One ad was for a psychic reader. Huh? Oh well, they need to make money. There is also a track for rc cars 3.00 for 5 minute rental.
It’s been 2 years since my comment above. The Milford Drive-In is still going strong! I was there a few weeks ago. It’s also still $20 a car for up to 6 people.
I don’t know what “milforddriveinsucks” is complaining about above. He paid to see one movie then he thinks he can get another one for free. So what does he do at an indoor multi-theater? Does he sit and watch one movie and when it’s over does he get up and go into another theater and watch another movie for free? What an idiot! They should have called the cops on him. What he did was theft of service.
And finally, of course, the Milford Drive-In doesn’t suck regardless of what this moron says.
I’ve been going to the Milford Drive-in for over 15 years. It’s a great place where you can have a great family time. It’s $20 for up to 6 people to see 2 recent movies that are always good ones and not “B” movie junk. You can also bring in your own food, which makes it a very affordable night out.
Sorry you had a bad experience. Their website explains their policy.
Admission (Revised 3/1/06)
Our Admission Price is $20.00 per car for one to six occupants (we don’t count children under 2 years of age). Additional Occupants (7 or more) are an additional $5.00 each. Your purchased ticket allows you to watch one or both movies playing on the same screen. You may not watch one movie on one screen and then watch the 2nd movie playing on the other screen.
When you purchase a ticket, the ticket person asks you what screen. They then issue you a colored, numbered ticket for that screen. Switching screens is absolutely not allowed. Doing so constitutes Theft of Services, for which you could be arrested. At the very least, if we catch you switching (and we do), you will be asked to pay for a second ticket or leave the Drive-In immediately.
The Drive-In signs legal contracts with the film distributors to run their films, for which the film companies are paid a percentage based on the number of tickets sold (for that screen). We are routinely audited by the distributors. They actually send people out to count the cars. If we allow switching screens, we are also subject to penalties. Please don’t embarrass yourself, your family and us by switching.
So that we are on the same wave-length about this, here is the inside scoop. Throughout the 2005 season, this rule has been becoming more and more of a problem. We have been audited nearly every weekend and the problem with screen switchers is showing up constantly. Earlier this season we were giving people that we catch the opportunity to return to their original parking spots. As of 8/19/05, this is no longer an option. Our previous “lack of enforcement” sends a mixed message, that it’s OK to steal, and if we catch you, it’s no big deal. From now on, it’s going to be a BIG DEAL! You’ll either have to pay up or you’ll be going home early. If we catch you twice, then we will pursue a more drastic approach.
The Milford Drive-In Theater has been showing you First Run movies for more than 30 years, and we are not going to lose that privilege because of a few people who want to break the rules and steal from the film producers. You can’t do it at the Indoor Theaters and you aren’t going to do it here.
MY COMPLAINT THAT WAS SENT TO THE MILFORD DRIVE IN:
my wife, two children and i, came to your drive in to see “madagascar”. after the movie was over, i decided to drive my vehicle into the “other lot” where star wars was about to begin. a man walked up to me as i slowed down and asked me what ticket i had. i told him it was for “madagascar”. he then tells me i’m not supposed to drive my vehicle into another lot and that if i did want to watch star wars, i would have to pay another 18 dollars. being only my second time to this drive in, i had no idea that i couldn’t drive my vehicle into the “other lot”. i told him that, and drove back to the area i was originally in.
during all this, some older man (that also worked for the drive in) was watching this. after i moved back to the area i was originally in, this older man is standing in front of my vehicle, to the left, with his arms crossed as if he’s waiting and watching me to do something – a very unpleasant feeling. after a while, he gets into his car that just so happens to be next to mine. about 5 minutes later, i moved my vehicle to another area of the lot i was in. my wife and i then started to talk about this weird situation as to why after we pay 18 dollars to get into this place, we can’t freely drive around in it.
you may have your reasons for not wanting people to drive from one lot to the other, but in the end, you still got everyones 18 dollars. to me, it doesn’t make any sense. then again, it would sound like greed to me if you’re asking people to pay again to move from one part of your property to another. regardless of that, i said to my wife “we’re in the lot we paid to be in, so let’s just go in the back of our suv and watch the other screen in the other lot. after all, it’s visible and we can get it on our stereo – and more importantly, it’s not doing anything wrong because we are in the area we paid to get into. not so.
about 5 minutes into watching stars wars (from the lot that showed madagascar), the older man that works there drives his car by me and asks me what my plate is (because my back doors were open). i told him and he tells me "you’re out of here”. i said to him “i am? … for what”? he tells me “because you were already told you can’t watch the other movie in the other lot”. i said “i’m not in the other lot, i’m in the place i paid to be in”. he then threatens to call the police. i tell him “go ahead”.
let’s be sensible here… when someone threatens to call the police on you for something you think you haven’t done wrong, you feel you’ve got nothing to hide. what i didnt like about this individual, was his rude and ignorant approach and the way he acted with his choice of words in front of my family. he drives away and a few minutes later the younger guy (who originally told me to leave the other lot or pay again) walks over and starts giving me crap. once again – bad approach. instead of explaining to me – in a nice mannor – that i can’t watch a movie (in a different lot from the one i’m in), even though i’m in the lot i payed to be in, is not allowed, he tells me to “leave”. if the guy just explained it to me in a nice manner, i would have complied. but to rudely tell me “you’re out of here”, doesn’t cut it. maybe that’s your policy and right to say that to me. fine. but i just spent 18 dollars to get in, another 23 dollars on food, drinks, candy, ice cream and popcorn… that’s 41 dollars total. am i no one? just another jerk to you people? doesn’t spending money mean anything to you people? whatever the case may be, that was wrong.
did i try to beat the system, you say? maybe to you. not to me. i paid my 18 dollars and i’m in my area now. so what? is this what you have these guys running around doing? i could see if i just decided to keep driving in the star wars lot when the guy told me to either pay again or go back to my lot. that would be cause to act the way they did.
let’s recap: i mistakingly drive to the other lot, i go back with no argument. i feel weird about it after because the older man acting like the gestapo makes me feel that way. i then go into another area and move my family to the back of my vehicle and then get told to leave. does this sound professional to you? this is how you value your customers regardless of what they spend for money? did i bring my own food and drink to your business? no. instead, i spent more money than the people who do bring their own stuff. does that matter at all? apparently not. what difference does it make to you or any one else around me if i decided to sit in the front of my vehicle or the back? what if i had been sneaky and shut my back doors, are you going to notice me then? what if i didn’t make the mistake of innocently driving into the other area… would the older man have been looking for me or said to me what he did when he found me?
20 or so minutes pass and the police arrive. they come walking over to me with flashlights in all our eyes as if we commnited some heinous crime. i didn’t bother to argue my point to the police because i knew whatever i was to say to them, wouldn’t matter. i basically stalled you people from throwing me out right away and getting the better of me. i hope people all around saw the police come and throw out a family for some pathetic reason.
to sum it up: my family and i were thrown out of your drive in when we could have watched a second movie that we paid for (just like everyone else there). your employees humiliated us and told us that we were never allowed back in again. i had to give the police my personal information after feeling like a criminal with my family.
NOTE TO EVERYONE: AVOID THE MILFORD NH DRIVE IN THEATRE (MILFORD NH DRIVE IN THEATRE SUCKS)
We had a great time this summer. Thank You. During one weekend, you were showing Harry Potter & The Thunderbirds. We were there and lost a radio remote control. It is to a JVC Car Stereo. We were in the back row, furthest from the bathrooms. I know this is a longshot, but if you ever found one, we would really appreciate if you would contact us at “ THANK YOU