There’s clearly no projection booth on this site nor is there a screen.
If he had rebuilt the projection booth in August 1950, you think he wouldn’t have torn it down by October and totally cleared the property, especially if he hadn’t sold the land by that time.
And perhaps even more telling, no evidence of tire marks, tracks, or other indications that cars had ever been on the property. So, I don’t think this is it.
I will try to search Earth Explorer for any evidence of a drive-in.
The October 1950 aerial shows no screen or projection booth/concession stand at that site. And yet the article you cite states that the projection booth had been rebuilt reportedly by August of that year, so both should be there, right?
The circle driveway seems to have more to do with connecting the house seen on the north side to the stable/shed just to the south. With the connecting road leading to what looks like a barn on the NE corner of the property.
Is there any other evidence to suggest this is the site? Otherwise, this looks like private property to me.
The walking track is way too small to have encircled the drive-in. Plus, the track does not appear in any of the aerial photos until 2004, decades after the drive-in was demolished.
“Intact” is a pretty strong word to use for this site. The ramps remain and perhaps the concession stand/projector booth. Although a 2015 Google Street View makes it difficult to tell.
Most of the property is now a flea market with buildings dotting the site. The area where the screen once stood is now a private residence.
Can’t say exactly when the drive-in closed. But the 1973 aerial does show it intact, yet starting to become overgrown with vegetation. Just three years later it is in really bad shape with the screen appearing to be down. By 1985, it had bee fully demolished.
My guess is that the drive-in closed sometime in the mid to late 1960s. Long before the overpass was built.
A 1971 aerial photo shows the drive-in intact and perhaps operational. By 1983, the entrance road was turned into Frontage Road and the drive-in appears to be closed although it remained intact.
In addition to the faint indication of ramps to the south of the building, you can also see the remains of the original entrance road and the foundation of the ticket booth.
However, a 1983 aerial shows something quite unusual in the SE corner of the drive-in. It looks like an autoscope was installed. Given it’s location, it appears that the autoscope operated at the same time the main drive-in did which would make it most unusual.
By 1994, the drive-in had been demolished and a go-kart track installed. Today, there is no evidence of the autoscope remaining.
A slightly closer address is 3387 S Mississippi Ave, Atoka, OK.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this one places it right on top of the Kenco Mfg building which is right in the middle of where the drive-in once stood.
A closer address is 4100 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL. This appears to be the main entrance to the drive-in.
To confirm what Nick DiMaggio states, a 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact and appearing operational.
By 1969, it had clearly been demolished for years. The concession stand/projection booth and outline were still present. But today there is basically nothing left of the drive-in.
However, the sign for the Penn Tanks Lines, the business that now sits on part of the drive-in property, is in virtually the exact same spot as the marquee in the 1957 aerial. Although it’s not the same sign.
A topo map from 1966 shows the drive-in. By 1982 it had been completely demolished with the building that is now the One Child Center for Autism having been built.
What’s interesting is the 1971 topo map still shows the drive-in, but it also shows a building on the site that was not there in the 1966 aerial. It is still present in the 1982 aerial and could have been a larger concession stand with a projection booth on top.
The One Child Center building shows up in the 1979 topo map which would indicate to me that the drive-in had closed by that time despite it still being present.
This is the address of the water treatment plant located about 700 feet north of the screen.
As of April 2022, the screen still appears to be in excellent condition with no trace of the rest of the drive-in remaining. Even the ramps and outline have been plowed away.
Rather remarkable that after 50 years the screen is in such good shape, so it obviously has been maintained.
There’s clearly no projection booth on this site nor is there a screen. If he had rebuilt the projection booth in August 1950, you think he wouldn’t have torn it down by October and totally cleared the property, especially if he hadn’t sold the land by that time.
And perhaps even more telling, no evidence of tire marks, tracks, or other indications that cars had ever been on the property. So, I don’t think this is it.
I will try to search Earth Explorer for any evidence of a drive-in.
The October 1950 aerial shows no screen or projection booth/concession stand at that site. And yet the article you cite states that the projection booth had been rebuilt reportedly by August of that year, so both should be there, right?
The circle driveway seems to have more to do with connecting the house seen on the north side to the stable/shed just to the south. With the connecting road leading to what looks like a barn on the NE corner of the property.
Is there any other evidence to suggest this is the site? Otherwise, this looks like private property to me.
The walking track is way too small to have encircled the drive-in. Plus, the track does not appear in any of the aerial photos until 2004, decades after the drive-in was demolished.
A closer address is 12392 6th Ave E, Visalia, CA.
Google Maps has updated the address and this places it between the entrance and exit roads.
https://tinyurl.com/mvehbpzb
“Intact” is a pretty strong word to use for this site. The ramps remain and perhaps the concession stand/projector booth. Although a 2015 Google Street View makes it difficult to tell.
Most of the property is now a flea market with buildings dotting the site. The area where the screen once stood is now a private residence.
A closer address is MS-37 & S C Rd 37-I, Taylorsville, Mississippi.
This intersection is about 500 feet northeast of the drive-in location. Which sat on the west side of MS-37.
https://tinyurl.com/ycyk69ef
Today, an Auto Parts store sits where the screen was located. And on the back of the property is a home.
In-between you can still see faint indications of the ramps.
The drive-in was still intact and appeared open in 1968. But but 1981 the screen was gone and buildings were present on the back of the lot.
By 1991, the projection booth/concession stand was gone and replaced by the Four Seasons Village Apartments.
The projection booth/concession stand is still present in a June 2022 Google Street View. It was built to last, that’s for sure.
Can’t say exactly when the drive-in closed. But the 1973 aerial does show it intact, yet starting to become overgrown with vegetation. Just three years later it is in really bad shape with the screen appearing to be down. By 1985, it had bee fully demolished.
My guess is that the drive-in closed sometime in the mid to late 1960s. Long before the overpass was built.
A November 2021 Google Street View shows no change as the screen still stands with some damage to the center section.
The screen seems to be the only thing remaining. Sometime between July 2018 and July 2019 the screen was painted to resemble the American flag.
A May 2021 Google Street View showed the drive-in still intact, although the screen was starting to look rough.
The November 2022 GSV shows the land entirely cleared away, so the work had to have started at least a couple months earlier.
A 1971 aerial photo shows the drive-in intact and perhaps operational. By 1983, the entrance road was turned into Frontage Road and the drive-in appears to be closed although it remained intact.
Most of the property is still open with hints of the ramps remaining.
The 1965 aerial shows only the foundations of the concession stand/projection booth along with the screen.
Amazingly enough, the trees may have preserved the ramps as you can see their semi-circular pattern in the latest Google overhead.
In addition to the faint indication of ramps to the south of the building, you can also see the remains of the original entrance road and the foundation of the ticket booth.
However, a 1983 aerial shows something quite unusual in the SE corner of the drive-in. It looks like an autoscope was installed. Given it’s location, it appears that the autoscope operated at the same time the main drive-in did which would make it most unusual.
By 1994, the drive-in had been demolished and a go-kart track installed. Today, there is no evidence of the autoscope remaining.
Screen is still standing as of August 2022.
A slightly closer address is 3387 S Mississippi Ave, Atoka, OK.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this one places it right on top of the Kenco Mfg building which is right in the middle of where the drive-in once stood.
https://tinyurl.com/yyy8aw3n
A closer address is 4100 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL. This appears to be the main entrance to the drive-in.
To confirm what Nick DiMaggio states, a 1957 aerial shows the drive-in intact and appearing operational.
By 1969, it had clearly been demolished for years. The concession stand/projection booth and outline were still present. But today there is basically nothing left of the drive-in.
However, the sign for the Penn Tanks Lines, the business that now sits on part of the drive-in property, is in virtually the exact same spot as the marquee in the 1957 aerial. Although it’s not the same sign.
https://tinyurl.com/p7nv8bfe
The Terrace Drive-In sat at a different angle compared to its predecessor.
While the North 21 Drive-In had its screen facing to the southwest, the Terrace had its screen facing to the northwest.
The screen was still standing in a 2013 aerial photo, but was gone by 2015.
A topo map from 1966 shows the drive-in. By 1982 it had been completely demolished with the building that is now the One Child Center for Autism having been built.
What’s interesting is the 1971 topo map still shows the drive-in, but it also shows a building on the site that was not there in the 1966 aerial. It is still present in the 1982 aerial and could have been a larger concession stand with a projection booth on top.
The One Child Center building shows up in the 1979 topo map which would indicate to me that the drive-in had closed by that time despite it still being present.
The only remaining trace of the drive-in is the foundation for the screen posts.
A closer address is 2186 Hwy 183, La Crosse, KS.
This is the address of the water treatment plant located about 700 feet north of the screen.
As of April 2022, the screen still appears to be in excellent condition with no trace of the rest of the drive-in remaining. Even the ramps and outline have been plowed away.
Rather remarkable that after 50 years the screen is in such good shape, so it obviously has been maintained.
https://tinyurl.com/mvbwmubb