Drive-in movie theatres have been a much-loved cultural institution of the USA since 1915, providing unmissable and accessible cinematic experiences for all. So pop open the boot of your car, snuggle down among blankets and burger grease and watch the light shift playfully around you as night falls. Whether you go solo, with a partner, friends, family or even your fur baby, these are the top 10 best drive-ins across the country, according to Confused.com. Crank up your radio, switch off those headlights and enjoy.
Small but perfectly formed, Stars and Stripes in New Braunfels is one of the newest additions to America’s drive-in scene and has capacity for only a hundred cars, so visitors are advised to arrive in good time to avoid disappointment. There are three screens to choose from, showing a range of Hollywood blockbusters, action thrillers and family flicks that vary week by week. If you want to embrace the full experience, there’s a 1950s-style café to purchase nibbles from.
At this family-owned and operated drive-in, tickets are priced at $9 for anyone aged 12+ (around £7) and $6 (around £4.50) for children aged four and over, with three-year-olds and under going free. Pets are welcome and it is also possible to book party packages, company picnics or to rent single screens or the whole venue for special events. The Stars and Stripes has a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5, with customers praising its fun atmosphere, great staff and good food.
The Bay Drive-In is a favourite among the people of Alexandria Bay, with space for 600 cars at a time. It closes for winter and reopens in spring, ending its season with a ‘Spooktober’ programme of horror movies, macabre tales for kids and cult classics to celebrate Halloween. From April, it then shows a selection of double features whatever the weather on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings across its two screens.
Adult tickets are $7 (around £5) each, children aged seven to 11 are charged $3 (around £2), six-and-unders are entitled to free admission and furry friends are permitted to join you too. Both for regulars and first-time visitors at the Bay, the contemporary yet retro feel of the drive-in gives a cosy undercurrent of nostalgia to the experience. Some audience members believe it beats an indoor cinema, whereas others enjoy having the option to watch films from the Bay’s on-site screening room.
Fort Worth’s Coyote Drive-In is the largest venue in this ranking so far, with room for 1,300 cars and four different screens. It’s open year-round, in all weathers, seven days a week from 6pm and is dog-friendly. You can only consume food and drink purchased from the Coyote Concessions stand, which is no hardship considering there’s plenty of choice on their menu, from hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos and buffalo wings to funnel cakes, cookies and popcorn, as well as some local craft beers.
For adults, tickets cost $8 (£6) and $5 (around £4) for children aged five to 11. Those aged four-and-under go free and tickets on Wednesday nights are slightly discounted for adults at $5. It is also possible to hold parties and host corporate events or private screenings here. The Coyote’s TripAdvisor rating is 4.5, with a hundred 5-star reviews applauding characteristics like the fantastic view you get of the screens and the great customer service.
Sitting just off the famous Route 66 highway, Admiral Twin Drive-In has been running since 1951 and even starred in a movie of its own: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders. Its dual screens, named the West Screen and the East Screen, show double features of new releases from Friday to Sunday evenings and the venue has capacity for a thousand cars in total. They usually open in March and remain open until around Halloween, but have been known to close further into the autumn. Snacks and drinks are available from the on-site bar.
Tickets are $9 for adults (around $7) and $5 for children (around £4) aged between three and 11. You can also pick up a season ticket which gets you access to unlimited movies for $99.99 (around £75). With a TripAdvisor rating of 4.0, visitors love the historic setting and family-friendly appeal of the Admiral Twin, as well as the reasonable ticket cost and knowledgeable staff. Screenings always go ahead unless particularly inclement weather interferes with the venue’s power.
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Located in sunny California, West Wind Solano Drive-In plays contemporary first-run films but still manages to pull off an authentic vintage vibe. Open every night of the year, this drive-in has two screens and can fit 800 vehicles across its parking lots. It offers a 'family night' promotion on Tuesdays and also operates a weekend flea market. The venue has boomed in popularity over the last couple of years, being a safe and socially distanced way to enjoy movies, with many people sticking with this over a conventional cinema trip. Refreshments are sold on-site but you can bring your own in too.
An adult ticket at the West Wind Solano Drive-In costs $8.75 (around £6.50) and children’s tickets for ages five to 11 are just $2 (£1.50) each, with free admission for anyone aged four and under. Although the theatre has a TripAdvisor rating of 5.0, this is only based on two reviews which note the venue’s affordable tickets and the general comfort of the viewing experience. Yelp users give it four stars, so it’s definitely worth checking out for yourself.
Opened in 2016, Hound’s Drive-In shows double features seasonally on Fridays and Saturdays after dusk across three 50x100-foot (15m x 30m) screens, making them the largest outdoor movie screens in America. Each of the screening areas has its own specific capacity, with no more than 1,150 cars permitted within the grounds at any one time. For peckish theatre-goers, they have a ten-window concession stand and only food or drink bought from here can be consumed on the premises. It serves savoury meals, sweet treats, drinks and items like blankets and insect repellent to make your evening all the more pleasant whatever the temperature.
Ticket pricing works slightly differently at Hound’s Drive-In. They charge per carload ($20/£15) as opposed to per person, so be sure to fill all of your seats to get the best value for money. Dogs are welcome on the proviso that they are well-behaved, on leads and that you clean up after them. The venue has TripAdvisor and Yelp ratings of 3.5, but reviews highlight its sparkling cleanliness, impressive screens and menu variety.
Transit Drive-In has been under ownership of the Cohen family for four generations and celebrates its 70th anniversary season in 2022. Since the 1950s, it has grown to include five screens and capacity for a whopping 1,500 cars. Double features run on each of the screens from Friday to Sunday between the end of March and December, showing hotly anticipated new releases in all weathers.
With adult tickets available at $12 (£9) and $8 (£6) for children aged five to 11, this drive-in has the highest admission fees in this list. Kids aged four and under go free, and choosing to watch only the second feature of the night will cost you $9 (around £7). The Transit is super family-friendly, with a playground and mini-golf course ($4/£3 per player) open before the films begin. Calm and quiet dogs can attend screenings and, for mid-movie munchies, there's a snack bar for human visitors.
Boasting the biggest number of screens in the ranking, Galaxy Drive-In offers seven of them and can accommodate up to 800 cars a night. They are currently just running single features across all screens, but are open every evening year-round. As with many independent venues, much of their revenue comes from the sale of drinks and snacks at their concessions stands, so visitors are politely asked not to bring food in from elsewhere. To the owners’ knowledge, the Galaxy is the first drive-in theatre in the world to have the ability to screen digital 3D films.
Tickets must be purchased from the box office on arrival, costing $8 (£6) for adults and $4 (£3) for children under 12, with four-legged family members welcome to tag along. The Galaxy Drive-In’s TripAdvisor rating comes in at 4.5, thanks to its fair admission and confession prices, diverse movie schedule and rustic character. Yelp users also say it’s a fun way to spend an evening and that they would recommend the experience to others.
The Starlite Drive-In has been in operation since 1971 and opens seasonally, typically from March to November. The capacity is 1,300 cars between its two screens which present double features on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights (although events and birthday parties can be booked here for any night of the week). At their refreshment stand, choose from a typical menu of cinema-style favourites, including cheeseburgers, corn-dogs, fries, popcorn, cotton candy and fizzy drinks. Chilly out? Ask to borrow a car heater, just take your driver’s licence to a member of staff.
For anyone aged 12 and over, tickets are $9 (around £7) and for those aged three to 11, they are $4 (£3), although it’s worth noting that pricing may differ for special events and concert performances. Younger children enter for free and a season pass is available for $99 ($75), which admits holders once a day for every day the Starlite is open that given year. TripAdvisor rates the venue at 4.5, with people suggesting that couples and families especially love this theatre. Another reviewer even calls it the coolest drive-in in the Midwest.
Topping the ranking is Mesa Drive-In, a cash-only, self-proclaimed “old-school outdoor cinema” which was established in 1951. With three screens, double features and a capacity for a thousand cars, it is Colorado’s largest drive-in movie theatre. The 2022 season runs from the end of April to the beginning of November. Ticket holders can also pre-order concessions to be ready to collect on arrival – options range from filthy burgers to ‘dogs’ and burritos, with popcorn, ice cream and funnel cake fries for dessert.
Tickets are usually priced at $11 for adults (around £8.50), $9 (around £7) for those over the age of 62 and are free for children under 12. But to mark the Mesa’s recent change of ownership, discounted tickets are available for a limited period. It may only average a 3.5 rating on TripAdvisor and a 4.0 on Yelp, but recurring themes across the reviews are the venue’s brilliant food and magical summer evenings spent here, where memories are forged for all the family.
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