Vail Mills Drive-In
943 County Road 106,
Amsterdam,
NY
12010
943 County Road 106,
Amsterdam,
NY
12010
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Located on Black Street between Broadalbin and Amsterdam, NY. The Vail Mills Drive-In was opened on May 29, 1948 with Dennis Morgan in “Cheyenne”. It was operated by Louis Goldstein. When I was growing up were frequented this and the El Rancho Drive-In in Palatine Bridge. The owners of the Ozone 29 Drive-In tried twice in vain to purchase and resurrect this drive-in. The first time backing out of the deal when they were told on the day they were closing sale, that they owned up to ten feet of the concession stand, the rest of the land was sold to a doctor who had his office on the adjacent land. Years later he decided he could make a decent size drive-in out of the land that was left and he tried to purchase again, this time only to be beaten to the deal by a housing developer.
The Vail Mills Drive-In was closed in 1989. The only thing left of the drive-in the last I know, was the concession stand, of which the roof has caved in, and the marquee which has been restored and was being used to sell modular homes. I have heard that when this drive-in opened it had a miniature train that went around the outer edge of the lot. I also remember the playground which had swings, and those things with springs underneath. I heard that when it closed the screen was converted into a shed. It was not the original screen from 1947, which was a wooden tower screen, like the El Rancho Drive-In, which burned down not long after the theatre opened.
Contributed by
Kris Ackerman
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
More information herefrom NY Drive-Ins
Arial photo here: http://www.newyorkdriveins.com/mohawkvalleyregion/vailmills/vailmillsaerial1995.jpg
Article on original screen fire: http://www.newyorkdriveins.com/mohawkvalleyregion/vailmills/vailmillsfire1950.gif
Opened with “Cheyenne”. 700 cars. Closed in 1989. Snack bar used as a storage facility. The rest of the site is Paradise Mobile Homes. The marquee is still there.
Boxoffice, Aug. 4, 1958: “Lightning struck the projection booth and screen at Lamont’s Vail Mills Drive-In, between Amsterdam and Gloversville, during a recent Saturday evening show … Harry Witzke, projectionist, was unharmed and continued the showing.”
Boxoffice, April 20, 1970: “The record heavy winter snows reportedly caved in the roof of the concession building at Vail Mills Drive-In outside Amsterdam. The mishap is expected to delay reopening.”
Correct address is 3748. 3757 would be across the street.
The entrance to the drive-in is on Black Street. You can still see a little of it in Google Maps. The drive-in was never connected to Route 30.
However, Google Maps does not have an address for the property. A May 2023 Google Street View does show what’s left of the concession stand/projector booth and part of the general outline is still present.
A closer address is 943 County Rd 106, Amsterdam, NY.
This puts it right across the street from the drive-in’s entrance road which can still be seen today.
Yes, Google Maps lists the address in Amsterdam which makes little sense, but there it is.
https://tinyurl.com/42dp7vre