Sacramento 6 Drive-In

9616 Oates Road,
Sacramento, CA 95827

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Showing 1 - 25 of 30 comments

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on December 29, 2022 at 3:50 am

The concession stand was modernized but kept the shape of the old building!

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on December 29, 2022 at 3:45 am

The snack bar was damaged by fire 11 months ago however they were able to repair and are thankfully still open!

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on May 12, 2019 at 4:20 am

Opened on screen 1 with “Scorpio” and “Live and let die” and screen 2 with “Song of the south” and “Walt Disney’s The Aristocats” and screen 3 with “Fuzz” and “The Poseidon adventure” and screen 4 with “Joe Kidd” and “High plains drifter” and screen 5 with “Rage” and “Last of Sheila”.

rivest266
rivest266 on May 5, 2019 at 12:20 pm

This opened on June 28th, 1973 as the world’s first 5-screen drive-in. the 6th screen was installed in 1976. Grand opening ad posted. For the record, the Thunderbird Drive-In in Fort Lauderdale, FL expanded to 6 screens on September 21st, 1973. Grand opening ad posted.

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on January 2, 2019 at 11:25 pm

yes. the next day left for home and it reeked of smoke. it was so bad that when got in the car. it reeked of soot from our clothes. it was smoky for all of the day getting worse as the day got on. literaly just about every middle school elementary school and high school and college within 100 miles from the fire was closed!

https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article221700665.html

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on November 11, 2018 at 9:25 am

Did you smell the fires?

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on November 11, 2018 at 4:03 am

just went here yesterday! the food was good! and the quality of the image on the screen is even better than my local walk-in theater! it was an opening premier movie too! the grinch!

Marklar
Marklar on February 3, 2013 at 1:24 am

I have a lot of good memories of the Sacramento 6 drive in. I have been going there since I was a kid and still go with my girlfriend now. To me its better than a regular theater because if the movie sucks you still get to enjoy a beautiful summer night outside and the drive-in makes bad movies more bearable. I’ve seen some classics here (Jurassic Park, Waynes World, Back to the Future II & III) and some not-so-classics (Super Mario Bros. The Movie, Richie Rich, The Flintstones Movie).

I was lucky to get a behind the scenes look at the drive in in 2004 when I was working for a local radio station, KWOD 106.5, and we did a couple classic movie nights at the Sacramento 6. Back then it was thought that the Sacramento 6 was closing for good and we we’re throwing it a going away party. We had local rock bands playing there, free double features, people showed up by the truck loads! Little did we know our going away party wouldn’t really be that because almost 10 years later its still going strong even in the winter months. But in the summer the lines have been known to be backed up to the busy street and over the Highway 50 overpass. I know one day it will be gone but from the looks of it that might not be any time soon.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on August 31, 2010 at 11:12 am

Even in the recession, this drive-in is doing good business

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brandonharry
brandonharry on June 4, 2010 at 6:51 pm

I was a projectionist at the Sacramento 6 from the ‘80s until the mid '90s (and worked for Century Theaters for a few years after that). We opened “Three Men and a Baby” in November 1987 as a main feature, and as is often the case, it moved to become a co-feature (second feature) after a few weeks. However, it was very popular and stayed as a co-feature for one movie or another, continuously, for nearly a year. I remember my friend (and fellow projectionist) and I were, by summer of '88, amazed every week when we got the bookings that “Three Men and a Baby” was still going to play. I remember it going into late summer/early fall of '88. I don’t think it made it a full year, but it came really close, more than 34 weeks. That was very unusual, but I think there were a few films that rivaled 30-something weeks of play back then.

Coate
Coate on May 20, 2010 at 4:16 pm

This drive-in had a 34-week engagement of the original “Star Wars” during 1977-78, which was (tied with the Winchester Drive-In as) the longest drive-in run of “Star Wars” in the United States. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the all-time record for a drive-in booking of any movie. Anyone know of any films that played at a drive-in for longer than 34 weeks?

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on May 20, 2010 at 2:56 pm

Nice slideshow.

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on March 16, 2010 at 1:03 am

Website should be changed to www.westwinddi.com

April99
April99 on April 8, 2009 at 2:53 am

Still open! Speak with your $$$ and they will keep it open! I’m planning to go this weekend if the rain clears up!

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on November 2, 2007 at 7:43 pm

Here is an August 2004 story when it appeared that the theater would soon close:
http://tinyurl.com/237heu

scheb
scheb on October 29, 2007 at 12:38 am

West Wind is a front company for Syufy Enterprises. Apparently when Syufy sold Century Theaters to Cinemark, they kept Century 21, 22, & 23 in San Jose. They also kept all the drive-ins under the West Wind name. Check it out at: http://www.westwinddriveins.com/

As of October 28, Fandango is still showing listings for the Sac 6 drive-in.

tawny
tawny on August 8, 2007 at 4:35 pm

I agree with jsanford… i think they should keep one open and sell tix online.. buy tix for a night that you would like to go to the drive ins…when the max capacity is reached.. you would have to buy for another night…..i guarntee it would sell more tix than the indoor movies…it would be sold out everynight!!!!!!!! AND WE COULD STILL HAVE A DRIVE-IN IN OUR TOWN!!!!!

blurose2002
blurose2002 on July 6, 2007 at 7:49 pm

I found a site that gives the movie times including the double feature showings.

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Scott Neff
Scott Neff on June 7, 2007 at 8:19 pm

Designed by Vincent Raney for Syufy Enterprises. Opened 6/26/1973. Currently operated as a West Wind Drive-In.

Zoren
Zoren on June 4, 2007 at 9:33 am

Just when you thought this drive in was safe for a few more years this information comes out:

http://www.sacbee.com/orangevale/story/198334.html

Yep that’s right Sacramento county Planners have actually approved the project to tear it down. after it’s gone the only nearest Drive in will be three hours away in San Jose. I’m sad to see it go but I guess that’s just the greet of our society. who cares to save something that’s the last of it’s kind when you can make more money building another strip mall.

jjmaccrimmon
jjmaccrimmon on April 11, 2007 at 4:32 pm

I’m very pleased to say that this theater complex appears to still be operating. A Google search yeilded the following:

http://sacramento.citysearch.com/profile/11278450/

There are several more listings with movies being shown as double features.

JasonBalch
JasonBalch on November 3, 2006 at 4:45 pm

The theatre has changed ownership, as Century Theatres has ceased operations and have sold off most of their screens to Cinemark. The Drive-ins that Century operated have been aquired by the Westwind Drive-Ins Company.

As of today, the Sacramento 6 has turned off their telephone recorded announcement, and dropped all listings in Yahoo! movies and the local paper. Hopefully this is a temporary issue…

JasonBalch
JasonBalch on March 30, 2006 at 6:06 pm

As of March 2006, this one’s still going…but catch it while you can. Century is shuttering their drive-in operations, and it’s too late to make the drive to Marysville; That one’s gone now, too.

Carstud
Carstud on November 6, 2004 at 3:33 pm

I found this recently on the planning proposal for development of this theater. I am going to write a letter saying that should allow some building but still have the drive-in’s. This would be similar to what was done at the Capitol Drive-In in San Jose,Ca. This works very well in San Jose,Ca. I have been there many times. I don’t want to have to drive to Marysville to go to the drive-in. The City ordiances for Sac county say that there can be no flea markets at the drive-in theaters. I feel this should be change as well to allow for more use in hope of keeping the theaters a viable option.

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RobertR
RobertR on October 1, 2004 at 5:33 pm

Tell me if this idea holds any water? What about opening drive-ins in the huge parking lots of malls or other buildings that dont have night time crowds? The screen would not really be in the way in the daytime and the back of it could actually be used for advertising, and all you would need is a building that housed the projectors, restrooms and concession stand.