Slinger Outdoor Drive-In

335 Slinger Road,
Slinger, WI 53086

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Functions: Baseball Field

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Slinger Outdoor Drive-In

The Slinger Outdoor Drive-In opened on July 2, 1952 and was operated by the Unity Ct. and closed in 1980. A baseball field now occupies the former drive-in.

Contributed by 50sSNIPES

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on January 20, 2025 at 10:30 am

Contemporary reports say that Slinger’s drive-in opened on July 2, 1952. The feature was to be a surprise, along with two color cartoons.

Exhibitor, July 2, 1952: “The Unity Drive-In just outside of Slinger, Wis., will open soon.” (I can’t find any other mentions of the “Unity” name.)

West Bend News, July 10, 1952: “The outdoor theatre at Slinger on Wednesday evening of last week (July 2) held its formal opening. Although a thunder storm kept the attendance down for that evening, attendance since that time has been very good. There is space for 500 cars, and rest rooms and a refreshment stand are on the grounds. Shows will be put on rain or shine, as water does not affect the screen.”

Motion Picture Exhibitor, July 6, 1955: “Charles Thoma, owner, Hartford, Hartford, Wis., and Tom Burg have taken over the Slinger Drive-In, Slinger, Wis.”

Motion Picture Exhibitor, July 11, 1956: “Charles Braun, Hartford, Wis., has been named new manager, Slinger outdoor theatre, Hartford.”

Kenmore
Kenmore on January 20, 2025 at 12:04 pm

The drive-in was still intact in 1981. But at some point before 1987 it was demolished and a building put on the property. That lasted until 2018 when afterwards the building was removed and what appears to be a softball field put in its place.

I say softball field because the Slinger HS Baseball field sits to the north. And the Slinger HS website indicates they have a softball team. The field is connected to a soccer pitch via dirt path.

There is no trace of the drive-in remaining. Although the field does sit at the same angle with home plate near where the screen once sat and the field located where the ramps once stood.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on January 20, 2025 at 1:26 pm

It was first managed by Dan Murray, who also managed the Hartford Theatre. The original screen tower measures 60ft with a 50x40ft screen.

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