Starlite Drive-In
3900 S. Hydraulic Street,
Wichita,
KS
67216
3900 S. Hydraulic Street,
Wichita,
KS
67216
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The Rainbow’s screen and concession stand were demolished entirely to make way for the new and much larger Landmark Twin Drive-in and concessions in 1974. The Rainbow’s single screen was situated just a bit north of where the new concession stand is located today. The theatre was renamed the Starlite in 1998.
Reopened as the Landmark Drive-In on June 21st, 1974 and the 2nd screen opened on August 9th, 1974. Grand opening ad posted.
great news! it’s reopening for the 2019 season!
here is there website
https://starlitefun.com/
more info about the reopening
https://www.kansas.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/keeper-of-the-plans/article222795385.html
Opened with “ Fort Defiance”. Renamed Landmark Drive-in in 1974. Second screen opened in 1979. Renamed Starlite Drive-in in 1998.
Liquidation auction scheduled for November 13th.
https://www.kansas.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article221082370.html
Some of this info may have been bouncing around on somebody’s Facebook page the past few days but—Wichita Eagle (KC Star also mirroring on their website) reports today the Starlite is now closed for good. (Page creator can change status to ‘Closed’ perhaps?) Link here
360Wichita.com has a great article with a lot of photos of the 1974 construction work. My favorite is a blurry photo of the old Rainbow marquee holding the message “watch for the happy event / we’re expecting twins”.
The 1976 IMPA still listed it as the single-screen Rainbow, capacity 500. By 1982, it was updated to the twin-screen Landmark, the name the IMPA kept through its final drive-in list in 1988.
Wichita’s Starlite Twin is 1 of 5 drive-ins left in Kansas. See Bob Curtwright’s story in the active age, July 2015.
Wichita is among a dwindling number of cities which still offers its lucky families the casual, relaxing experience of sharing DOUBLE- and TRIPLE-FEATURE MOVIES under the stars. While economic factors steadily cause other cities' drive-ins to be replaced with new businesses, Wichita families strongly support their last remaining drive-in. Why do they? A one-of-a-kind facility, it is one of the NICEST ones ever built anywhere. (The original owners insisted that it be completely FIRST CLASS.) One parent who often brings her children called it “a nostalgic treasure”. Kids LOVE It! No babysitter needed… bring jammies for the tots.
The Starlite opened on October 1, 1953 as the Rainbow Drive-In. It’s first movie was “Fort Defiance”. The Rainbow later became the Landmark Drive-In on June 21, 1974. “Mark 1” ’s first movies were “Walking Tall” and “Junior Bonner”. “Mark 2” was still being built at the time.
If I’m not mistaken, this drive-in used to be known as the Rainbow and later the Landmark.
Here’s a few more RAC Photography that I took back in 2007.. This is a real nice Drive In Theatre!
RAC Photography