Sky-Hi Drive-In
2910 Prospect Avenue,
Helena,
MT
59601
2910 Prospect Avenue,
Helena,
MT
59601
2 people
favorited this theater
The Sky-Hi Drive-In opened on May 1, 1952, featuring the 1950 western “Montana” with Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith. The second feature was the 1951 biographical film “The Great Caruso” with Mario Lanza and Ann Blyth. The Sky-Hi Drive-In was opened by Ralph A. Hahn, Don Dedriksen and Keith Dedriksen.
The Sky-Hi Drive-In was known for showing ‘Dusk to Dawn’ movies. The Sky-Hi Drive-In was closed in 1993 and was demolished. It is now home to Wells Fargo Bank, Trico Community Credit Union and Les Schwab Tire Center.
Contributed by
Randy Studer
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Grand opening ad posted in the photo page.
“HELENA, MONT. – Customers attending the Ski-Hi Drive-In Wednesday and Thursday were invited to come to the snack bar and purchase an envelope for 95 cents guaranteed to contain $1, $2, or $5. Some envelopes contained a $5 bill. Only one envelope was sold to a customer. The operators of the drive-in theater said there were no gimmicks and no obligation, that they just wanted to see the customers' smiling faces.” — Boxoffice, July 4, 1960
Boxoffice, Feb. 21, 1975: “Theatre Operators, Inc., which is headquartered in Bozeman, Mont., has taken over the operation of the Sky Hi Drive-In and the Sunset Drive-In located in Helena, Mont.”
Boxoffice, Aug. 30, 1952: “When Helena’s city drinking water was declared "not fit for human consumption” early this week, an advertisement in a daily paper notified the public that well water, free for the taking, had been made available to local residents at the Sky-Hi Drive-In on the east Helena highway. The announcement was made by Ralph Hahn, co-owner of the ozoner."
I was a young man and a night at the Sky Hi was so excitting to us..It was a family trip..What fun it was..
There was a two-page write-up on the recently opened Sky-Hi in the Modern Theatre section of the June 7, 1952 issue of Boxoffice. “The Ski-Hi sign is constructed of five 2x6s, 27 feet high and lights up in red. Neon tubing goes up and down the posts. A blinker system is responsible for twinkling silver stars.” The screen was 40x160 feet on a tower of “laminaka fir timber.” (Unfortunately, no photos.) The drive-in’s water came from a 150-foot well.
“The drive-in is the realization of a two-year-old plan of Ralph A. Hahn, Don Dedriksen and Kieth Dedricksen, formerly of Lincoln, Mont.” Hahn was recalled to active military duty in Korea, which put construction on hold until October 1951.