Fort Union Drive-In

3300 7th Street,
Las Vegas, NM 87701

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Additional Info

Functions: Movies (First Run)

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 505.425.9934
Manager: 505.425.9934

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Fort Union Drive-In

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

Recent comments (view all 16 comments)

Chris1982
Chris1982 on September 29, 2014 at 2:04 am

They do have a facebook page Their address according to their facebook Page is 3300 7th St , Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701

kpdennis
kpdennis on March 24, 2016 at 1:25 am

New pictures in the Photo section.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on February 22, 2017 at 4:18 pm

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.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on February 22, 2017 at 4:32 pm

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.

Drive-In 54
Drive-In 54 on September 16, 2018 at 10:02 pm

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.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on August 14, 2019 at 4:15 pm

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.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on May 4, 2022 at 11:48 pm

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.

Fort Union Drive-In theater snack bar construction photoFort Union Drive-In theater snack bar construction photo 24 Apr 1960, Sun Las Vegas Optic (Greater Las Vegas, New Mexico) Newspapers.com

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on May 27, 2022 at 10:07 am

This Drive-in theatre was used as one of the filming locations in the movie “Red Dawn”(1984 version).

DMarsh
DMarsh on February 2, 2025 at 2:56 am

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.)

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on February 8, 2025 at 4:58 pm

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).

  • I cannot find a single grand opening advertisement, but there was a surviving photo with a shot of both the marquee and sign taken around a day or two before grand opening.
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