Nice work Chuck. Good information can be found by using Google’s search engine, and with the right combination of words, you can discover a bunch of information through blogs, facebook postings, news stories, and history sites.
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is visible on Google Earth using historic aerial imagery.
The drive-in property itself is occupied by The Oaks At Normandy Apartments, a Publix is built on the propery which fronted between the drive-in and the Normandy Blvd.
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is vaguely visible using Google Earth historic aerial imagery. You can make out the shape of the parking area, and the entrance/exit driveways are easy to spot.
The earliest aerial photos available for this location are from 1977, and the resolution of the photos was too low to provide conclusive evidence for the drive-in, but the location matches up with exactly with description offered by the local historian below the theatre heading.
@Chuck: If you are referring to the area on the east side on Cleveland near N Airport Rd, I do not see a footprint there. It looks like the runway used to extend all the way to Cleveland Ave, and was shortened. The leftover property was graded off, but I do not see any remains for a drive-in there in current aerials, or the aerials I reviewed from 1958 and 1960.
The bad news is that aerial photos from 1958 and 1960 showed no drive-in at or near the location listed above, which is currently the site of the Isuzu dealership.
The good news is that a USGS topo map reveals the drive-in to be on the east side of the road, at:
13972 S Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33912
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which was across the highway from the Isuzu dealership.
Here is a 1978 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
The trick to Earth Explorer is to use images with the best resolution, a scale of 15000-30000 will produce acceptable results. The lower the scale, the higher the resolution. Even at a scale of 60000, a drive-in can be spotted fairly easily with a shape eye that knows where and what to look for.
Another issue is that when you download the photos, they are not “north” corrected automatically. You will need to rotate them with your imaging software so it is oriented north up.
Once the north is corrected, I zoom in to enlarge the drive-in, but not too much that I remove distinguishing features from the surroundings, which are necessary to match up the photo with more modern aerials, so I can obtain an exact current location.
Here is a 1961 aerial photo of the drive-in, which shows the fence bisecting the drive-in through the middle of the lot.
Here is a 1969 higher resolution close-up photo.
You can see there were separate entrances and ticket offices for the east side and west side of the lot.
Both photos are courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
Nice work Chuck. Good information can be found by using Google’s search engine, and with the right combination of words, you can discover a bunch of information through blogs, facebook postings, news stories, and history sites.
The truth is out there!
Not every drive-in made it into the encyclopedias, almanacs, and catalogs. Some slipped through the cracks, especially the ones in very rural areas.
Here is a USGS topo map noting the location of the drive-in, courtesy of MSRMaps.com.
4137 Clarcona Ocoee Rd, Orlando, FL 32810
The above address maps more accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is visible on Google Earth using historic aerial imagery.
This drive-in was open at least as early as 1967, and probably even sooner. The 1969 opening date in the heading is incorrect.
Here is a January 1968 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
U.S. 129 & 102nd Terrace, Live Oak, FL 32060
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in. The address in the heading was off to the north by about half a mile.
Here is a USGS topo map noting the location of the drive-in, courtesy of MSRMaps.com.
Here is a 1970 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerial.com.
Here is a 1960 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
Here is a 1960 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
Here is a 1960 aerial view of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
8808 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32216
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is now another Wamart monstrosity.
Here is a 1970 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
5752 Main St N, Jacksonville, FL 32208
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in.
Here is a 1960 aerial view of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
7777 Normandy Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32221
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is visible on Google Earth using historic aerial imagery.
The drive-in property itself is occupied by The Oaks At Normandy Apartments, a Publix is built on the propery which fronted between the drive-in and the Normandy Blvd.
5854 Atlantic Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32207
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which operated from 1939-75.
The drive-in was known as the Jacksonville Drive-In from 1939-45, so an “also known as” should be added to the heading.
1960 aerial photo courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
U.S. 17 & Baracoa St, Jacksonville, FL 32244
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which was on the west side of US 17.
Here is a 1960 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
Here is a 1969 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
17155 NW US Highway 441, High Springs, FL 32643
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in.
Here is a USGS topo map noting the location of the drive-in east of town on US 441.
1155 N Florida Ave, Hernando, FL 34442
The mapping will work with either Inverness or Hernando, as long as the 3442 zip code is used. The drive-in was about midway between both towns.
1155 N Florida Ave, Inverness, FL 34442
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is vaguely visible using Google Earth historic aerial imagery. You can make out the shape of the parking area, and the entrance/exit driveways are easy to spot.
The earliest aerial photos available for this location are from 1977, and the resolution of the photos was too low to provide conclusive evidence for the drive-in, but the location matches up with exactly with description offered by the local historian below the theatre heading.
U.S. 41 & Winkler Ave is the same as 3920 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33901.
I try to use intersections when practical, since road numbers can sometimes throw of the mapping features on certain mapping websites or programs.
Cleveland Ave at McGregor Blvd takes me to the center of downtown Fort Myers, and I did not see a footprint anywhere near there.
4700 Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907 puts my Google Earth on S. Cleveland Ave near N Airport Rd, near the Fort Myers Airport.
This is what I have documented for Fort Myers, there are four addresses which have been verified as drive-ins through aerial photos:
City Drive-In – U.S. 41 & Winkler Ave, Fort Myers
Northside Drive-In – 2521 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers
Southside (AKA Starlite) Drive-In – 13972 S Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers
Twilight Drive-In – 3901 Dr Martin Luther King Blvd, Fort Myers
The Northside Drive-In is the only one visible using Google Earth imagery, to the best of my knowledge.
There may have been a fifth drive-in, Lincoln Drive-In, which I am still researching.
Also, why are you calling me Brad? My name is Rick.
@Chuck: If you are referring to the area on the east side on Cleveland near N Airport Rd, I do not see a footprint there. It looks like the runway used to extend all the way to Cleveland Ave, and was shortened. The leftover property was graded off, but I do not see any remains for a drive-in there in current aerials, or the aerials I reviewed from 1958 and 1960.
Good news and bad news.
The bad news is that aerial photos from 1958 and 1960 showed no drive-in at or near the location listed above, which is currently the site of the Isuzu dealership.
The good news is that a USGS topo map reveals the drive-in to be on the east side of the road, at:
13972 S Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, FL 33912
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which was across the highway from the Isuzu dealership.
Here is a 1978 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
No drive-in gets left behind!
The trick to Earth Explorer is to use images with the best resolution, a scale of 15000-30000 will produce acceptable results. The lower the scale, the higher the resolution. Even at a scale of 60000, a drive-in can be spotted fairly easily with a shape eye that knows where and what to look for.
Another issue is that when you download the photos, they are not “north” corrected automatically. You will need to rotate them with your imaging software so it is oriented north up.
Once the north is corrected, I zoom in to enlarge the drive-in, but not too much that I remove distinguishing features from the surroundings, which are necessary to match up the photo with more modern aerials, so I can obtain an exact current location.
If it wasn’t challenging, it wouldn’t be as fun!