Drive-In movie theatres are back this summer big time!

During the 2-year "Great Pause" of the pandemic, when almost all movie theatres closed  down, drive-in movie theatres in many places remained open in the summer.

What a great, nostalgic memory of days gone by these old drive-in theatres are to all generations.  In the 1950,s and 1960s I jammed myself into my father's Ford Country Squire 9-passenger station wagon with as many friends as I could get in the car.  And then we headed to the drive-in on "one price per carload" night.  We stuffed ourselves on concession food (including that heavenly buttered-slathered popcorn), dodged our way around the potentially decapitating speaker-to-window wires, stayed for the second feature, and then crawled our way home down a country backroad shrouded in fog at 1:00 in the morning.  Great stuff.

In the 1950s there were more than 4,000 drive-in theatres popping up all over the United States. The decline of their popularity came in the late 1960s and early 1970s when their numbers dropped to about 350 nationwide. Later, with the advent of the "everything retro" movement, outdoor movie theaters made a comeback and today there are more than 500 in the United States.
Today there are more than 50 drive-in movie theatres ready to welcome you in New York State.  The majority of them are in the Upstate New York region.  This list covers almost half of them.

Each entry has a photo of the theatre, its physical address, and a link to its website or Facebook page.

Of special note we found a wonderful drive in Website that has done great research on these places and we have listed the first movies shown at these drive-ins when they opened.  It is fun to see so many of the "big hit" movies that were shown on opening night.  I mean classics, like Rory Calhoun in "The Saga of Hemp Brown" or Gale Storm starring in :Sunbonnet Sue."  It's a riot!

A Fun Night at The Drive-In Theatre is Still Possible at These 21 Nostalgic Outdoor Movie Venues

In the 1950s there were more than 4,000 drive-in theatres popping up all over the United States. The decline of their popularity came in the late 1960s and early 1970s when their numbers dropped to about 350 nationwide. Later, with the advent of the "everything retro" movement, outdoor movie theaters made a comeback and today there are more than 500 in the United States.

We all have fond memories of jamming our cars full of kids on "one price per car" night, the buggy yellow fluorescent neon lights at the concession stand, the greasy and oh-so-satisfying drive-in food, and those awkward in-window car speakers.

Today, everything is modernized. But still a lot of fun. There are more than 50 drive-ins in New York State. Here is a list of 21 favorites.

Let us know if your own favorite didn't make the list!

For a complete list visit http://cinematreasures.org/

DID YOU KNOW THIS? "It's A Wonderful Life" Film Stars in Its Own Upstate Museum

One of the most beloved films in Hollywood history is remembered in its very own museum in Upstate New York! The 1946 Frank Capra classic, "It's A Wonderful Life," is honored with a museum in Seneca Falls, NY. It is believed that Capra patterned the movie's fictional Bedford Falls after this Upstate village. Check out the pictures and stories below and judge for yourself. Is Seneca Falls, NY the real Bedford Falls?

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