281 Drive-In
1447 US-281,
Hamilton,
TX
76531
1447 US-281,
Hamilton,
TX
76531
1 person
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Located to the south of Hamilton on Highway 281. The 281 Drive-In was the first drive in located in Texas to have a swimming pool inside the grounds, located next to the concession building. The pool was very large with colored lights in the bottom. The drive-in was owned by Harold and Rosa Stroud. The operation schedule for the theater was May until late-Fall. In January 1960 the drive in was sold to Jack and Mary Haynie. He was still running it in 1964 and later closed it. He then turned the property into a race track for the kids. Then sold the property later on. Some closed abandoned businesses sit on the highway frontage part of the property. At one end there is an operating motel. The concession building is still sitting in the open field.
Contributed by
driveinfan
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
A better address for this on Google maps is:1371 US-281, Hamilton, TX 76531. It maps right to the business that the concession stand can be seen behind. The address above doesn’t even map to an address on US-281 even though the Motel down the road is 1447 US-281.
From BoxOffice, Jan. 4, 1960: “Jack L. Haynie has purchased the Texas Theatre and 281 Drive-In, Hamilton, from Mrs. H. H. Stroud sr. and H. H. Stroud jr. Ed V. Green is also associated with Haynie in the venture.”