Cordele Drive-In (I)
2009 US Highway 41,
Cordele,
GA
31015
2009 US Highway 41,
Cordele,
GA
31015
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There are two Cordele Drive-In’s in its history.
The first Cordele Drive-In opened in the early-1950’s and was located south of Cordele on what is now the Cordele Lions Park/Fairgrounds. It was operated by Earl Murray.
It was closed in the early-1960’s when Martin Theatres opened the newer Cordele Drive-In located north of Cordele on Farmers Market Road next to the combination route of U.S. Route 41 and Georgia Routes 7 and 90 (which has its own page on Cinema Treasures).
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50sSNIPES
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
This closed in 1966 just in time for the opening of the newer and larger Cordele Drive-In north of town.
A single story brick building which sits on the west side of the property is the only remaining structure from the time the drive-in existed.
I’m not sure what its function was in the day. It seems rather large to be a snack bar. Plus, the 1958 aerial shows a track running on the south side of the drive-in that also does not have an obvious purpose (at least to me).
My guess is that this was more than just a drive-in.
A 1970’s topo map marks the spot as a fairground so the part with the long track/driveway was probably where that was located.
The 1958 aerial shows a different shape of track compared to the one installed when the fairgrounds were created.
The 1958 track starts at an entrance from the main road and loops behind the drive-in. It is not an overflow track for cars waiting to get into the drive-in. Nor does it appear to be a playground train track.
It may have something to do with the building on the west side of the property, which for all I know predated the construction of the drive-in. My guess is that whatever the function of the building, it operated during the day and the loop is part of the parking for the building when the drive-in was closed.