Starlite Drive-In

20 E. Park Avenue,
Ringtown, PA 17967

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Kenmore
Kenmore on November 13, 2022 at 10:55 am

A 1958 aerial shows the drive-in intact and operational, but by 1969 the screen had been removed. By 1983, the concession stand/projection booth was gone as well with only the foundation remaining.

Today, if I squint hard I can just see the remnants of the ramps with trees that surround where the concession stand/projection booth once stood. A few RVs and trailers are on the property, but no indication that someone is living there.

The truly distinctive feature of the drive-in is the large oval track that surrounds it. The 1958 aerial shows the track quite nicely, but it’s also not quite complete. there is a section on the north corner that is not connected. So, this doesn’t appear to be a go-kart track.

Why the oval track was put into place is beyond me. Plus, it was fully connected in the 1969 aerial long after the drive-in shut down. Today, East Spruce Street replaces the north and west sides of the track with the remaining areas just barely visible.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on November 13, 2022 at 9:20 am

The Brandonville opened on September 3, 1949 with “The Razor’s Edge” with no extra short subjects, became the Starlite Drive-In on April 25, 1953 with “The Big Sky” with a few extra short subjects, and closed at the end of the 1959 season.

Kenmore
Kenmore on April 16, 2020 at 8:17 am

Topo maps make the drive-in appear considerably larger than its 225 car capacity. But a 1992 aerial shows the remains of the ramps which occupy a smaller section of the property more in line with its stated capacity.

Today, it is a big, empty field with no trace of the drive-in remaining.