Tower Drive-In
E. Bird Street at N. Florida Avenue,
Tampa,
FL
33604
E. Bird Street at N. Florida Avenue,
Tampa,
FL
33604
3 people
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Showing 51 - 69 of 69 comments
Nick, thanks so much! This is great!
Dan, Here are two congratulatory ads including Cinchett Neon Signs that was published on the day of the Tower’s grand opening on October 22, 1952. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ritzyritznick/6310839137/
Thanks for the TampaPix link above. Sure brings back some great memories!
Thanks for the offer, Nick. That would be great if you could get a copy of it and email to me or post here. I have a friend who is the son of John Cinchett, owner of the neon sign company who did many of the neons for Tampa businesses in the 50s and 60s. When I saw your grand opening ad, I emailed it to him and he said his dad did do the signage, and hoped to see if there was an ad from him as well. You can see much more of Cinchett’s signs here: http://www.tampapix.com/vintagetampasigns1.htm
Mike Rogers this was no great theater. The screen like all others in Tampa except 20Th Century were not wide enought to show films in scope. So any film in scope was off the screen and in the bushes. I hated it.
Dan, I need to check the Tower ad again. I researched the opening day by going through the Tribune theatre listings on microfilm at the library. When I found the opening day ad there was at least one full page of congratulatory ads as I recall. There may have been a Chichett Neon Sign ad although I didn’t look through all of them. I’ll be heading back to the library this week so I’ll check again. I’ll be able to locate the ad quickly since I have the Tower’s opening date. If I find a Chinchett ad would you like me to add it to the Tower page or do you just need to know they did the signage?
See photo: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/32472/photos/29840
Nick, I’m interested in the ads you mention that were too large to scan. Was there one from the Cinchett Neon Sign company in Tampa? I believe they may have done the neon signage for the Tower Drive In entrance. Thanks. (Dan P.)
Thanks Nick.I bet it was a great Drive-in.
It’s actually 1-275. Yes, we drove right by it. After the drive-in was demolished there was some talk of a development with shops and a hotel which never did materialize. And the property remains vacant which is such a shame. The drive-in could still have been in operation today had they not torn it down.
Yep, that is I-77 going above,right,Remember seeing it with you.
Here’s a current aerial of the property. Note the barely but still visible parking ramps & entrance roadway:
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Here’s a 1957 aerial. The dark snakelike line running across photo is the Hillsborough River. The Sulfer Springs Tower is on the left side of lot towards the rear but barely visible in photo:
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I am glad i sent these back to you even though i really wanted them.but they need to be on CT,and not in my collection.Thanks for getting them on.
Sorry guys! I had misplaced the ads but just found them. The Tower opened on October 22, 1952 with the double feature “Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie” and “Dakota Lil.” Here’s the grand opening ad with a photo of the lot. The huge full-page ad contained congratulatory announcements from about 20 merchants and supply companies which was far too large to scan so I copied the section with photo:
View link
Program from 1969:
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View link
Nick, waiting on those ads you said you were putting on.hope the scanner did not break again.
Yep, you can’t miss the tower.
I have seen this location.Right off 1-75 I think.
Open from about 1955 till 1985.
Had a wide screen and stero sound.
Run by Floyd Theaters.
Nick,when i was in Tampa,you showed me this old Drive-in site?