Shankweiler's Drive-In

4540 Shankweiler Road,
Orefield, PA 18069

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davidcoppock
davidcoppock on April 16, 2024 at 7:22 am

90th anniversary today.

m00se1111
m00se1111 on April 10, 2024 at 7:14 am

Shankweiler’s Drive-In, in Lehigh County, was set to host a 90th anniversary celebration Saturday — until trump rolled into town.

Now that former President donald trump is holding a rally at a nearby firehall, however, Shankweiler’s has decided not to compete with the main attraction in Lehigh County that night.

“Literally less than a mile from the theater, the same day as our 90th-anniversary event, at the same time,”

https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/drivein-trump-pennsylvania-rally-movie-shankweilers-20240410.html

m00se1111
m00se1111 on March 29, 2024 at 11:36 am

90th anniversary for this iconic venue coming up on April 15

article in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer…

https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsylvania/drive-in-shankweilers-mahoning-movies-summer-pennsylvania-20240329.html

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on July 16, 2023 at 11:29 am

So then it must say that this was the first “in the United States” to simulcast movie audio via FM Stereo in 1986.

kennerado
kennerado on July 16, 2023 at 7:51 am

I’ve read that the Dromana drive-in actually started using FM sound in early 1984 which would pre-date this one by two years.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on June 8, 2023 at 10:00 pm

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area would later open its second drive-in theater in 1940 called the 7th Street Drive-In in Whitehall six years after the Shankweiler’s opened its doors (which will have its Cinema Treasures page soon, and I made a huge mistake while finding history about the 7th Street Drive-In as I accidentally listed the 7th Street as the oldest in the area rather than it being the second-oldest because I totally forgot how close it was to Shankweiler’s, oops! My bad, but I hope someone can fix it).

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on November 6, 2022 at 1:54 am

Possibly the World’s oldest operating Drive-in theatre(but not the World’s oldest operating outdoor picture theatre though, that record is held by the Sun Picture Gardens in Broome, Western Australia, Australia which opened on 9th December 1916).

JRHagan
JRHagan on November 5, 2022 at 9:04 pm

good news folks ! https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment/2022/11/shankweilers-oldest-still-running-drive-in-in-america-is-sold-to-new-owners.html

dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on February 25, 2021 at 11:49 am

yes DRIVEIN101 they are looking to sell and it is currently on the market god i will never visit being i live on the west coast but it would be a shame if america’s oldest drive-in were torn down

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on July 20, 2018 at 11:02 am

I heard that Paul and Sue were looking to sell. But God forbid this historic landmark be torn down

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on February 6, 2018 at 2:16 am

Opened on 15/4/1934.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on January 18, 2018 at 8:52 pm

Shankweiler’s Drive-In is now for sale.
Brief history highlights from the article at the bottom can be added to Overview.

SHANKWEILER’S HISTORY

1934: Wilson Shankweiler opens the outdoor theater in North Whitehall Township.

1948: Installs speaker poles and car speakers

1965: Shankweiler sells the drive-in to Robert Malkames.

1982: Adds AM radio (and later FM radio) micro-vicinity broadcasting to deliver the soundtrack.

1984: Malkames sells to Paul and Susan Geissinger.

2013: Converts projection and sounds systems to digital format.

2018: Property for sale with asking price of $1.2 million

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-shankweiler-drive-in-for-sale-20180118-story.html

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on December 29, 2017 at 8:56 am

This place should be heritage listed!!

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on December 27, 2017 at 2:16 pm

Shankweiler’s history page says it opened on April 15, 1934. Kerry Segrave’s book Drive-In Theaters also lists that date, but says it’s “questionable”. The first reference I could find in The Morning Call of nearby Allentown was on May 22, 1937 when an ad for Shankweiler’s restaurant added “Shankweilers’s Open Air Theatre Now Open (for the season?) – Talkie Shows Every Sun., Wed. & Fri. Evenings”.

The Segrave book says that Wilson Shankweiler was a movie buff who saw the original Camden NJ drive-in while on vacation in 1933. “Behind the hotel he owned in Orefield was a deserted landing strip, which Shankweiler converted to a makeshift drive-in. The first screen consisted of two poles and a sheet.” The hotel building, still there, was converted to a funeral home in 2010.

Lehigh Valley Business listed the chain of ownership in a 2015 article. In 1958, Shankweiler rented the drive-in to Al Moffa, a close friend who had helped him build it. “The next year, Shankweiler sold it to Moffa’s manager, Bob Malkemis.” In 1983, Malkemis sold Shankweiler’s to Paul Geissinger and his wife, who together “operated it as a second job and as a hobby.”

Geissinger is an electrician, and according to a now-vanished Project Drive-In article, in 1986 he built the first FM radio broadcast unit for use in a drive-in.

Chris1982
Chris1982 on October 6, 2014 at 3:04 am

2013 Digital projection and sound equipment installed.

Tine263
Tine263 on June 6, 2013 at 12:16 pm

This is a really nice drive-in! The owners are very friendly and truly care about the place. I was able to go their opening weekend this year in April. So cool!

http://driveinadventures.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/shankweilers-drive-in/

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on June 2, 2010 at 6:05 pm

I have also been there for a show and it’s a FABULOUS place with a good presentation and nice people.

It truly is a National Historic Landmark!

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on June 2, 2010 at 4:45 pm

Very cool the 2nd drive-in ever and is still open.

Denny Pine
Denny Pine on May 6, 2009 at 8:28 am

HAPPY 75TH ANNIVERSARY (BELATED), SHANKWEILER’S DRIVE-IN!!!

I’ve been there twice, and I plan on getting there this year. Wonderful place! I know Mr. Shankweiler and Mr. Hollingstead are celebrating this incredible landmark in Drive-In Heaven.

Speaking of landmarks, Shankweiler’s should DEFINITELTY be designated as a National Historic Landmark.

teecee
teecee on March 7, 2005 at 5:10 pm

Official website:

http://www.shankweilers.com/

This is another great place within an easy drive of greater Phila/central NJ.

RobertR
RobertR on October 18, 2004 at 9:48 pm

How great that this drive-in has lasted seventy years.