Fort Union Drive-In
3300 7th Street,
Las Vegas,
NM
87701
3300 7th Street,
Las Vegas,
NM
87701
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
505.425.9934
Manager:
505.425.9934
Nearby Theaters
The Fort Union Drive-In is one of only a couple of drive-ins remaining in operation in New Mexico. In the late-1960’s, there were over 45 in the state.
Located to the north of East Las Vegas, it opened on May 20, 1960 with Robert Taylor in “Killers of Kilimanjaro” & Audie Murphy in “No Name on the Bullet”. This single-screen outdoor theatre has parking for 350 cars. It operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from May through September.
Contributed by
Bryan
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Recent comments (view all 16 comments)
They do have a facebook page Their address according to their facebook Page is 3300 7th St , Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701
New pictures in the Photo section.
The April 4 1963 Las Vegas Optic wrote: Announcement was made today by Les B. Dollison, owner of the Dollison Theaters in Santa Fe, that his company has purchased the Las Vegas Fort Union Drive-In Theater from its former owners, Ward and Elaine Olsen and H.C. Mitchell.
About Mike Rogers' question, the Vegas Drive-In was listed in the 1949-50 Theatre Catalogs with a capacity of 350 cars. In the 1952 and 1955-56 Catalogs, its capacity was 300. The Fort Union was listed in the 1972 International Motion Picture Almanac with a capacity of 450. That’s a big difference.
Then again, the Fort Union Facebook page says it has a capacity of 340 cars. Either Chris1982’s quote of 1958 is wrong or maybe that’s just when the Vegas was renamed. I just don’t know.
There was two drive-in theatres in Las Vegas, NM. The Vegas and the Fort Union Drive-Ins. The Vegas Drive-In is listed on CT also.
Here’s a note to add to the confusion. The June 20, 1960 issue of Boxoffice wrote: “LAS VEGAS, NEV. – The new 700-car Fort Union Drive-In was opened here recently by John Wolfe. A Spanish-language picture is included on each Tuesday night bill.” (That note was also summarized in a retrospective list the following January in Boxoffice.)
Spanish-language films tend to play better in New Mexico than Nevada. And of course, there was never a Fort Union drive-in in Nevada. Which is understandable because the old Fort Union, commemorated in the Fort Union National Monument, was less than 30 miles away from what is now New Mexico’s last active drive-in.
It’s not a very good photo, but with newspaper information so spotty, this reinforces the idea that the Fort Union opened in May or June of 1960.
This Drive-in theatre was used as one of the filming locations in the movie “Red Dawn”(1984 version).
Just added a screen shot of the Fort Union Drive-In as the “reeducation camp” out on the edge of town in the film “Red Dawn” (1984).
(The Serf Theatre in town also makes a brief appearance in the film.)
The Fort Union Drive-In opened its gates on May 20, 1960 with Robert Taylor in “Killers of Kilimanjaro” and Audie Murphy in “No Name On The Bullet” (unknown if extras added).