The Best Drive-in Theaters in the U.S.

By Claire Trageser
October 03, 2017
Credit: PAUL J.RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
Luxury movie theaters are the new trend across the country, offering padded and reclining seats, gourmet food and drinks, and even interactive elements like shaking seats and spraying water. But there are still old school ways to see a movie: drive-ins.

In grassy fields and paved lots across the country, you can pull up your car in front of a screen and take in a film or two (or three).

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Some drive-ins stick to the classic model. Park your car and listen to the movie audio over your car radio. Others offer added twists to make the experience more interesting.

From the classic to the more unusual, here are some of the best drive-ins across the country.
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Coyote Drive-In, Fort Worth, Texas

Credit: Raul Rodriguez

Pets are welcome at this drive-in theater — and that includes horses. In fact, the Coyote Drive-In is free if you’re on a horse. The theater provides hitches so you can tie up your ride while you take in a movie or refreshments from the cantina.

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Wellfleet Drive-In Theater, Wellfleet, Massachusetts

Credit: Paul Marotta/Getty Images

This classic theater on Cape Cod also has miniature golf, a dairy bar with soft serve and hard ice cream, and a flea market during the day.

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The Alamo Drafthouse, Austin, Texas

Credit: Courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse

Watch the classic thriller “Jaws” from an inner tube on a lake. Luckily, drinks are served to calm your nerves.

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Delsea Drive-In Theatre, Vineland, New Jersey

Credit: Courtesy of Delsea Drive-In Theatre

This theater’s food menu goes far beyond candy and popcorn. It has an entire gluten-free menu, Atkins items and menu options such as chicken cheese steak and teriyaki chicken with edamame.

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South Bay Drive In, Imperial Beach, California

Credit: Courtesy of South Bay Drive In

You can smell the ocean breezes from this spot right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The theater has three screens, giving you more double-features to choose from.

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Field of Dreams, Liberty Center, Ohio

Credit: Courtesy of Field of Dreams, Liberty Center

Built in the owners’ back yard, this theater takes “if you build it, they will come” literally. It’s also one the few theaters that lets you not only buy tickets online but pay extra to reserve a parking spot.

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Fairlee Motel and Drive-In Theater, Fairlee, Vermont

Credit: Trevor Paulhus

One of the few motel-movie-drive-in combos left in the United States, this theater offers both a motel and an outdoor cinema. You can watch a movie from your car, or from your motel room.

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Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, Illinois

Credit: Courtesy of Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In

This is the first and likely the only drive-in theater to be powered by wind turbines. It also takes other environmentally-friendly measures, including using LED lighting and recycled materials.

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Mesa Drive-In, Pueblo, Colorado

Credit: Courtesy of Mesa Drive-In

Take in a film or two with a beautiful Colorado backdrop. This theater has three screens and a call-ahead menu so you can order food in advance.

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Malco Drive-In Theatre, Memphis, Tennessee

Credit: Courtesy of Malco Summer Drive-In

Part of a movie theatre chain that has been family-owned for more than 100 years, this classic theatre maintains its retro feel.

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Bengies Drive In Theatre, Middle River, Maryland

Credit: PAUL J.RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images

This theater boasts that it has the largest drive-in screen in the country, measuring 52 by 120 feet. That means films aren’t cropped or cut in their displays.

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Route 66 Drive-In, Carthage, Missouri

Credit: Mark Williamson/Getty Images

Located along the historic Route 66, this theater lets you bring in outside food and drinks but warns “if you do, you are contributing to the demise of drive-in theatres.”

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Hull's Drive In, Lexington, Virginia

Credit: Visions of America, LLC/Alamy Stock Photo

One of the only nonprofit theatres in the country, this classic drive-in is run by Hull’s Angels, which is dedicated to preserving the theater.

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By Claire Trageser