Drive-In Movie Theaters and Outdoor Movies Locations Locator Map and Directory

A drive-in theater is a mostly obsolete form of movie cinema composed of an outdoor screen, a projection booth that plays the movie, a concession stand, and a parking lot where patrons park their cars. The idea behind a drive-in is that customers can watch a movie from the comfort and privacy of their cars without having to enter an indoor theater. Drive-In theaters are typically located in large rural fields, although they can be built pretty much anywhere there's a parking lot and a viewing surface, which can be as simple as a painted white wall.

During their height in the 1950s and 1960s, there were nearly 5,000 drive-ins across the USA. Nostalgists will recall them as ideal date night spots; teenagers found drive-ins alluring because you and your date could watch a feature film in the privacy of your car. Several factors lead to the decline of drive-in in the 70s and 80s, however. To begin with, revenue is limited by the fact that movie shows can only begin at twilight or later (there is no such thing as a drive-in matinee). Inclement weather also lead to many abrupt cancellations. Changes in the real estate market made owning large, undeveloped property areas increasingly expensive. Today, there are only around 450 drive-in theaters in North America. Browse the map for drive-ins to visit near you before they completely disappear.