South Ottumwa Drive-In
6779 Madison Avenue,
Ottumwa,
IA
52501
6779 Madison Avenue,
Ottumwa,
IA
52501
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Boxoffice, July 8, 1963: “Nature put on quite a performance with an early evening windstorm Friday, June 29 … two Central States airers lost their screen towers - at Grinnell and Ottumwa. Manager Earl Rolison rigged up a 30x50-foot canvas "screen” between two poles and Ottumwa was in operation despite the downed tower."
the old entrance road is still there, being used by the trucking company which sits just north of the property.
The projection booth/concession stand is still intact. Although in the Google Street View you can’t see it because of the cornfield.
What’s more interesting is that one of the towers used to support the screen appears to still be standing.
The South Ottumwa Drive-In opened its gates on July 14, 1953 with Joseph Cotton in “Untamed Frontier” along with a couple of cartoons. It started life under the name “South Drive-In”. It was first managed by Jake Cohen and first operated by Ottumwa Theatres Incorporated.
The South Ottumwa Drive-In closed for the final time after the 1995 season due to poor business, and the theater was torn down in May 1996.
Demolished In The Late 1990s.
This was still operating in 1995.
Most of the drive-in sat just to the south of where Eastlick Trucking is located. You can still see a few hints of ramps, the screen foundation, and the projection booth/concession stand appears to be intact.