The industry reached an apex in August 1952, when the average weekly attendance at outdoor theaters surpassed that of traditional theaters by 1.3 million. By 1955, there were more than 3,700 drive-in theaters in the United States. That number peaked in 1958, when more than 4,000 drive-ins brought in $230.42 million.
Drive-ins gained immense popularity 20 years later during the 1950s and '60s with the Baby Boomer generation. There were over 4,000 drive-ins throughout the U.S., and most were in rural areas.
"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."
Drive-in theaters have been disappearing since their peak in the mid 1900s. 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.
The History of the Drive-in Movie | Encyclopaedia Britannica
What were drive-ins in the 1960s?
Invented in the US, drive-in theaters reached their peak popularity right after World War II during the '50s and '60s, allowing guests to enjoy B movies in a giant parking lot, under the stars and in the comfort of their cars.
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.
Prices. The drive-in movie lots could hold anywhere from 100-400 cars at a time. The cost to view the movie was 25 cents per car and an additional 25 cents per each person in the cars.
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.
"The decline of the drive-in was directly related to the movement away from Main Street America and towards the mall society, where convenience, times, weather and the idea of 'all-inclusive' became the popular way to enjoy a night out, pushing away the classic night out at the drive-in," Stefanopoulos elaborated.
In 1950 there were 25 million registered automobiles, the majority of which were made pre-World War II, and by 1958 there were 67 million registered. New categories of businesses were created to support the 1950's car culture, including drive-through and drive-in restaurants and drive-in movie theaters.
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.
New York (49), Pennsylvania (45), Ohio (44) and California (44) offer the most drive-ins, according to the association. Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana and North Dakota didn't have any drive-in theaters as of 2019.
Where was the first drive-in movie theater in the US?
On June 6, 1933, eager motorists park their automobiles on the grounds of Camden Drive-In, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken, New Jersey.
Adjusted for inflation, that $0.70 movie ticket in 1960 would be about $6.17 today — not too far off from the modern-day average of $9.17. As The Hustle has previously explained, it's the concessions stand where the theaters really get you. In 1960, movie treats were pretty modestly priced.
Drive-ins hit the scene in 1933, and during their heyday in the 1950s and 60s, over 4,000 of them could be found across the country. Today, the number is a scant ten percent of that peak — though a few persist if you're willing to look.
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.
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.
In 1933, the inflation-adjusted cost of a movie theater ticket was $6.14 - by 1937, this number had dropped all the way back down to $3.97 (inflation adjusted) as Americans struggled to afford nights out.
