National Outdoor Drive-In
7322 W. U.S. 40,
Greenfield,
Indianapolis,
IN
46229
7322 W. U.S. 40,
Greenfield,
Indianapolis,
IN
46229
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The National Outdoor Theatre went out in one of the greatest bills ever on September 2 into September 3, 1984, 1984 with “Tightrope,” “Police Academy,” “Footloose,” and the original “Porky’s.” We salute you, National! It was demolished in favor of the Oaks Village subdivision not long after.
Jacob M. Smiler built the National Drive-In to accommodated 1,100 cars with a mammoth 72-foot screen in 1955. It was the city’s 11th drive-in and it was deluxe with a swimming pool, a dance pavilion, two playgrounds for different sizes of kids, shuffleboard, skating rink and mini amusement park. It opened August 20, 1952 with Rod Cameron in “Wagons West” and the Bowery Boys in “Feudin' Fools.”
I went in here with a group of friends in 1991 everything was still there projectors, speakers on poles I mean everything. The screen was huge and had the national in cursive written on the back facing US 40. The screen also doubled as a house. The drive in itself probably could hold 1,000 cars it was a nice place..