In the late 1950s, there were 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the United States. Today, there are only about 300 left in operation.

How many drive-in movie theaters left in America?

The number of drive-in cinema sites in the United States remained at 321 in 2020, the same as in the previous years.

What is the oldest drive-in theater?

The oldest drive-in still in operation is Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater in Orefield, Pennsylvania, USA. This outdoor cinema opened on 15 April 1934, less than a year after the world's first drive-in theatre opened in Camden, New Jersey.

How many drive in theaters are left in Indiana?

Central Indiana's Top Drive-In Theaters. While outdoor theaters are definitely dwindling in number across the country, Indiana is actually a great place to access a drive-in. There are currently 20 drive-ins in Indiana, making it one of the top 5 states with the most drive-ins.

When did drive-in movies decline?

Decline (1970s–1990s) Several factors contributed to the decline of the drive-in movie industry. Beginning in the late 1960s, drive-in attendance began to decline as the result of improvements and changes to home entertainment, from color television and cable TV to VCRs and video rental in the early 1980s.

Top 10 Drive-In Movie Theaters That Still Exist in the US

Why did drive-ins lose popularity?

Slowly, drive-ins began to lose their appeal. To have an effective drive-in, it had to be on at least 15 acres of land. Economically speaking, it became more practical for owners to close their drive-ins in order to sell their land to developers to build malls or multi-building complexes.

Why did drive-in theaters lose popularity?

America's rising car culture meant that more families and teens had the ability to drive to the outskirts of town to see a movie. But as those small towns grew, land became more expensive. The outskirts of town developed, and large drive-ins often weren't cost effective anymore.

What is the oldest drive-in theater in the US?

Nine miles northwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania, sits America's oldest drive-in movie theater, first opened in 1934. While it was originally the second drive-in theater to open in America, Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre is now the only one left from the early 1930s.

What state has the most drive-in theatres?

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New York (49), Pennsylvania (45), Ohio (44) and California (44) offer the most drive-ins, according to the association.

What state has the biggest drive-in theater?

The largest operating drive-in in the US by car capacity is the Ford Wyoming Drive-in in Dearborn, Michigan. It can hold around 3,000 cars.

What was the largest drive-in theater?

At its peak, the Ford-Wyoming had nine screens and a capacity of over 3,000 cars, leading it to become the largest drive-in theater in the world. In 2006, the owners sold the land on which the sixth through ninth screens were located. This decision was made due to a decline in population of the Detroit area.

What is the largest drive-in movie theater?

The largest drive-in cinemas by car capacity were the Troy Drive-In, Detroit, Michigan, USA and the Panther Drive-In, Lufkin, Texas, USA. each able to hold 3,000 cars.

Why do people go to drive-ins?

You can see your favorite movies like never before: Whenever you go to the movie theater, there's always the risk that the film you're seeing will be a dud. However, most drive-in theaters play classics and fan-favorites, meaning that you've likely already seen the movie you're going to view and know you'll like it.

Are drive-in theaters profitable?

The profitability of a drive-in movie theater can be comparable to traditional indoor movie theaters, but it is highly dependent on factors such as attendance, operating costs, and weather conditions.

Does Florida have drive-ins?

Here's where. Drive-in movie theaters have a long history in Florida. The first opened in 1938 in Miami and, by the mid-'50s, there were more than 150 in the state.

Where is the largest drive-in theater in North America?

Benjies Drive-In Theater (Middle River, MD)

Bengies is famous for its larger-than-life movie screen that clocks in at a whopping 52 feet high by 120 feet wide—it's considered the biggest movie theater screen in America.

What city appears in the most movies?

1 Los Angeles, California

There's a reason why any aspiring actor, director, filmmaker, or musician wants to move out to L.A. with dreams of living the life of luxury. Los Angeles is also the home of countless celebrities, which contributes to the massive amounts of movies and shows being filmed there.

What city has the most theater seats?

With about a dozen and a half professional theaters and a plethora of smaller theaters, Detroit's theater district is second only to New York (according to many websites). Plus, with 13,000 theater seats, Detroit has the most seats east of the Mississippi River, outside of New York of course.

Which city has the most Theatres?

Paris has the most cinemas (302) and cinema screens (1,003) in the world, while London has 108 cinemas and 566 screens. New York comes out top in terms of number of theatres. It has 420, compared to 353 in Paris, 230 in Tokyo, 214 in London and 184 in Istanbul.

When were drive-ins most popular?

As an institution, the drive-in's heyday was in the 1950s, when more than 4,000 screens dotted the American landscape.

Were drive-ins popular in the 40s?

The first drive-in movie theater opened on June 6, 1933. The concept accelerated in the 1940s, giving birth to memories of drive-in movies for many who lived in '40s through '70s.

What were drive-in theaters like in the 1950s?

"Drive-ins started to really take off in the '50s," Kopp said. "They offered family entertainment. People could sit in their cars, they could bring their babies, they could smoke. Drive-ins offered more flexibility than indoor theaters."

Are drive-in movies successful?

For June through August 2020, about 21% of North American movie theaters in operation were drive-ins, and those fixed-screen outdoor cinemas had 70% of the box office revenue.

What are drive-in screens made of?

Most screens are made of steel and anchored in concrete. You will generally need to have a screen professionally constructed and installed to meet wind-load requirements. How do I get an FM station to play the audio? The most common way to handle audio in a drive-in theater is use of an FM radio transmitter.

Why don't they actually drive-in movies?

This is because it would be difficult for an actor to avoid getting in a car accident while driving, saying dialog, and performing with a camera and lights blocking his or her view.