Trails Drive-In
507 W. US Highway 66,
Milan,
NM
87021
507 W. US Highway 66,
Milan,
NM
87021
1 person
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Located in Milan to the north of Grants, NM. The Trails Drive-In was opened in September 1953 when it was operated by J.C. West. By 1973 it was operated by Theatre Operators Inc. and it was still open in September 1984. However, it was at some point later closed and demolished.
Contributed by
Ken McElhaney
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
the ramps and concesion stand/projectors boot foundation still remain!
Historic Aerials shows the Trails Drive-In in 1955, screen facing north, in the middle of nowhere off Route 66 just west of Grants in what is now Milan. The ramps can still be seen in the big field behind the Immanuel Baptist Church on Valencia Avenue. The 1981 aerial photo showed the drive-in still looking good, though the screen was gone by the 1997 photo.
The first appearance of the Trail (always singular, always under Grants NM) in the Motion Picture Almanac was the 1955-56 edition, when it was listed with a capacity of 225, owned by J.C. West. In 1977, the capacity became 200 and the owner Grants Inc. In 1980 through the final MPA drive-in list in 1988, the owner was Thea. Opera.
The Trails stayed alive until at least 1983. The June 21, 1983 issue of the Albuquerque Journal had an article about the advent of cable TV in Grants. Its author, Toby Smith, wrote: “The Trails Drive-In, which occasionally shows R-rated movies, is about as close as one can get to dirty movies in Grants.”
A USGS aerial taken Jan. 31, 1954 shows the screen up and in the right place but no projection booth or ramps. Maybe it was under construction then?
Boxoffice, Jan. 10, 1977: “Theatre Operators, Inc., has leased the West, Lux and Trail Drive-In theatres (in Grants) from J. C. West.”
Boxoffice, April 11, 1953: “GRANTS, N.M. – J. C. West, owner of the Lux Theatre here, has purchased $15,000 worth of equipment for a new drive-in to be located west of town.”
Boxoffice, Sept. 5, 1953: “J. C. West is opening his new 300-car drive-in at Grants, N.M., this month”
Boxoffice, Jan. 2, 1954: “J. C. West of Grants, N.M., expects to open his new 300-car drive-in there early in the spring.”
Boxoffice, September 1984: “Theatre Operators (of Bozeman MT) have sold the West Theatre and the Trail Drive In Theatre, Grants, New Mexico, to their former city manager Roy McDowell.”
only the ramps remain!