Double Drive-In
2800 W. Columbus Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60652
2800 W. Columbus Avenue,
Chicago,
IL
60652
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Vanished Chicagoland blog memories of the Double Drive-In.
https://vanishedchicagoland.blog/2020/08/30/my-fond-memories-of-going-to-the-double-drive-in-theater-in-chicago/?fbclid=IwAR0kSKG0vKQjU_th0QMq_7K9zZK1TghUH9vcJPQOo2ivxgRU-7J-wlU0vdA
Opened on 19/8/1950 “Where the sidewalk ends”. Why wasn’t the name changed when the drive-in was tripled?
The most recent ad in the Chicago Tribune for the Double Drive-In that I could find was Sept. 7, 1995.
This opened on August 19th, 1950.
Also, there was an article in the early to mid 90’s from the Tribune I believe featuring all the then open drive ins and this one was in the article.
I never went there but drove by it after it closed (this would be around 1997 or so). A friend had discovered it by accident and wanted to show me. I wasn’t scared at the time but it’s in South Englewood, and not sure about South Englewood, but Englewood is a bad area. I remember being in a clothing shop either summer of 1987 or 1988 (I was either a junior or senior in high school) and there was a commercial with this drive in, along with the BelAir and the Twin featuring the Beach Boys song.
It’s a real shame that not only THIS place ,but also, The Bel-Air(in Cicero) & The Twin drive-in in Wheeling,Il got torn down around the same time! They showed their ads on the same little 3 inch posting in the news papers ..This was my personal favorite as a kid…I’m pretty darn sure it would STILL be my favorite now,if it was still open! Places like these would do such good business now! Quentin Tarantino just bought The New Beverly Cinema in Hollywood and is showing"very rare" double features every day.Just like these drive ins used to do in the 70 s and 80 s….And packing the very small cinema with moviegoers!
As a youngster in the 60’s and early 70’s, this was were the family primarily went to see shows. We would bring some pop corn and some Kool-Aid (we did not have a lot of money for stuff from the concessions stand) and arrive early so my brother and I could play in the playground before the show started.
My uncle sold at the flea market on Sunday’s from the late 70s until maybe 1989? The concession stand was awsome unless it flooded. Then it became an island in the distance. Hambergers and dogs wrapped in foil. I rememeber hanging out in the playground under the screen and swinging on the swings. Such a shame.
Parked a large amount of cars 1800 and was owned by M&R Amusement Corp.
I think with 99.44% certainty that the ad that Ken posted 5/12/09 is for the drive in for the 1972 aerial shot linked to on 12/6/08. The vicinity of multiple railroad tracks to the North and South pinpoints it.
The 2800 W. Columbus address given in the header says this is the right drive in for this page. Columbus Ave is only a few blocks away from the site and 74th and South Western Ave mentioned in the ad.
Southwest Hwy is likely the old name for W Columbus Ave.
Ken, the address in your ad does match this drive-in.
Here is a May 1951 ad from the Southeast Economist. The address doesn’t match either theater mentioned so far. Maybe there were three Double Drive-Ins in Chicago.
http://tinyurl.com/qkl88t
There was another Double Drive-In in Chicago, it was located at 87th and Cicero St. Here’s an aerial shot from from 1951.
Here’s an aerial shot from 1972.
Another thought that comes to mind is that if their were enuf cars you could get a spot in the right angle that would put you in the right angle to view the left and the right side of the screens in other words 2 for 1 so to speak .
Also, who recalls sitting in the back of a pick up truck on lawn chairs. We some times had a inflatabel air matress that was fun good times. Thank you for you times.
The planes landing at Midway on noghts when the wind was Northwest would pass low over the drive in, and that was when Midway was “Worlds Busiest Airport”. As a kid, the planes were the show for me in the late 50’s
Saw Star Trek 3 here. Got to watch the Enterprise go down in flame while on the swing set(I was a wee lil' lad at the time).
The drive-in and the land next to it(1st it was a Zayer then an Ames then i think the flea market came in ) are all gone if i recall it is now the sight of a Church and daycare center for the church.
Some of my child hood memories take place at this drive-in siting in the back of a 1976 wood panneld station wagon with a bucket of chicken watchin Star Wars in the rain.
This drive-in did not have the “Tune to this station” feature you had to hang the speaker (if it worked)on to your window, once in a while the trains would go past and make so much nose you could not hear the movie. I also recall that if it was raining the whole lot became a great bid mud pit,so you had it stop and think “do i REALY want something from the snack shack?
I also recall a little area off to the side with swings and a sand box sort of a play ground, good times! Thank You for your time :)