Route 66 Drive-In
1700 Knights Recreation Drive,
Springfield,
IL
62711
1700 Knights Recreation Drive,
Springfield,
IL
62711
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Related Websites
Route 66 Drive-In (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Kerasotes Theatres
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: Green Meadows Drive-In
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
217.698.0066
Nearby Theaters
Originally opened March 8, 1974 as the Green Meadows Drive-In, when many drive-ins were starting to go out of business, this twin screener had a brief first life, closing on August 8, 1980.
After sitting vacant for almost two decades, the Knight family, who own and operate a nearby theme park, renovated and reopened the theater, as the Route 66 Drive-In (the historic highway runs just blocks from the drive-in’s location).
Though only one of the two screens was lit in 2002, there are plans to have both open for the 2003 season.
The Route 66 screens first-run features from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
Open for 2017 with first run features!!!
http://www.route66-drivein.com/now-showing
What is the thene park called and is it still operating or even still there?
It’s called Knight’s Action Park and is still operating.
Route 66 Drive-in is listed as being on Route 66 on the website http://www.driveintheater.com/route66.htm . Has the route of Route 66 changed location through Springfield, Illinois?
The two routes of 66 that ran through Springfield were 6th street (Business I-55) and Illinois Route 4. The Route 66 DI is located between these routes along US 36/I-72 frontage road. The original 66 Drive-In was located on 6th Street just off the exit from I-55. Their claim to being on Route 66 is incorrect.
The second screen of the Route 66 opened in Spring 2004.
Opened as Green Meadows Drive-in on screen 1 with “Legend of hell house”, The Heartbreak Kid", and “Mash”, and on screen 2 with “Rivers”, “Judge Roy Bean” and “The getway”.
NOTE to webmaster: This entry causes confusion to some readers as there was a prior “66 Drive In” in this city. Adding to this confusion is that this entry has an incorrect photo showing the grounds of the “66 Drive In”, not this Route 66 Drive In. I suggest the webmaster please re-name this entry “Route 66 Drive-In (Green Meadows Drive-In)” as this would help clear the confusion between the two 66 theaters.
The Green Meadows' final ad in the State Journal-Register was on Aug. 8, 1980, when it was showing “Oh Heavenly Dog” + “Scavenger Hunt” / “Love at First Bite” + “Old Dracula”.
That issue’s Movie Week roundup repeated (probably inaccurately) the drive-in’s movies from the week before. A week later, on Aug. 16, it repeated them again, but the final shows were likely to have been on the weekend of Aug. 8.
Daily Illinois State Journal, March 11, 1973: “A new twin-screen, drive-in theatre will open in Green Meadows Recreation Park this summer, according to Louis Jablonow, president of Mid-America Theatres. The new drive-in will be located adjacent to Skateland and International Health Spa in Green Meadows Recreation Park, now under development at Chatham Road and the South Bypass. Construction on the new 875 automobile theatre facility is underway and plans call for a two-story concession and projection building with facilities that will serve two screens showing two separate movies at the same time. Two large playground areas will be provided and all parking spaces will be equipped with in-car speaker and heater units. Cedar fencing on the perimeter of the theatre grounds will be accented by landscaping.”