Fly-In Drive-In
1727 New Jersey 34,
Wall Township,
NJ
07727
1727 New Jersey 34,
Wall Township,
NJ
07727
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Showing 24 comments
DEFG, you are correct. The one I posted (now removed) was the Dennis Drive-In in Dennis Massachusetts. Photo number 3 of 19 in the below Daily News link. I usually always cross reference after doing a reverse image search, but somehow missed that one.
https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/drive-in-theaters-america-gallery-1.3226245?pmSlide=1.3226227
I just uploaded a 1953 aerial that matches the angled aerial shared by jeterga. DEFG is right in saying that the thick-walled screen tower from the June 1948 photo doesn’t match the metal supports in jeterga’s.
Also, it’s true that there are too many photos posted on CT without permission (and too often without proper attribution!), but keep in mind that CT is a non-profit, and these photos are typically posted for the Fair Use of illustrating some point of history.
RobertR, in 2004 you asked for a photo of a plane at the Fly-In Drive-In. I just posted one from June 1948. It may have been one of the LIFE Magazine photos posted in 2008, but those links are now dead.
Correction – page 99(chapter 10) of Drive-in theaters a history of their inception in 1933(Kerry Segrave).
This might be the same fly-in drive-in mentioned on page 99(strange drive-in’s) that opened on June 3, 1948 near Asbury Park, New Jersey. The planes taxied over the last ramp where they equipped with speakers for the pilot and passenengers. There was a jeep supplied to tow the planes back to the airport the movie/s finished!
“Is the airport next door still there?”
A more accurate address (at least for Google) is 1727 New Jersey 34, Wall Township, NJ which maps it directly to the site of the projection booth/concession stand.
Today, the property retains the outline of the drive-in and a business has seemingly built a new building atop the old foundation of the projection booth/concession stand. http://tinyurl.com/j3yv3gq
This site is possibly unique, it should be heritage listed!
The Fly-In was really neat, and there are some remains if you visit the site. I did a post in Nov 2014 with some information :) https://driveinadventures.wordpress.com/2014/11/22/fly-in-drive-in-theater-wall-township-nj-closed/
Grand opening ad in photo section.
Approx. address for this drive-in was 1675 New Jersey 34, Wall Township, NJ 07727
What a concept.Pretty cool idea.
This location fits all the descriptions above. At the airport, and the lot looks like it has a projection booth right in the center of it. Certainly could have been a multiple screen drive-in.
View link
Another 1949 LIFE image of the Fly Drive-In,
View link
I didn’t even know that Fly-In Theatres had even existed.
Wow, that is pretty cool, I didn’t know they had a boat area too.
The Woodbridge Fly-in, Sail-in, Drive-in Theater was unique in that it was intended for use by Boats as well as automobiles and planes. It’s interesting that no one else mentioned the sail boat section. Does anyone else remember it?
Many thanks to all for sharing your memories of a very different time in America. It’s amazing how quickly these things get lost.
This 1949 Life Photo may be the Asbury Park drive-in. The theater is not identified:
http://tinyurl.com/5hpa2c
Does anyone else remember the Fly-in, Sail-in, Drive-in at Woodbridge, New Jersey?
Was mentioned in the documentary “Drive-In Movie Memories” in 2001.
The comment above by Lost Memory mentions the Belmar Fly-In. This is (was) the Fly-In mentioned in the main post. It was located in Wall Twp (Wall had a Belmar mailing address for many years), on Rt 34 at the airport. There was no drive-in in Asbury Park.
As mentioned above, the red brick screen foundation exists as a sign, and the concession and projection buildings are there, you’d recognize them for what they were when you see them!
Mechanix Illustrated (or) Popular Mechanics ran an article on the place in the late 50’s, I believe.
Brown owned a second “Fly-In Drive-In” which was located just west of the Manahawkin Drive-In on Rt. 72 in Manahawkin. If you stood at the back (last ramp) of the Manahawkin and walked about 100' into the surrounding pine trees you came on the last ramp of the Fly-In.
It was called “Fly-In Drive-In #2” It’s entrance was off of Rt. 72 about a quarter mile from the entrance of the Manahawkin’s entrance.
The Manahawkin was at the intersection of Rt. 72 and Rt. 9.
Brown also owned another drive-in (not a fly-in) called the Bay Drive-In which was located on the north side of Rt. 37 a few miles east of Toms River and very close to the bridge that took you over to Seaside Heights. The Bay was sold to Walter Reade who operated it into the 60s or 70s.
Mike H
I wish someone had pictures of the planes parked watching the movies.
This has got to be one of the coolest theaters and probably most unique, I have heard of until this point.