Valley 6 Drive-In

The Valley 6 Drive-In may not be open much longer. There is an article about its possible future here:
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/170879

This theater is poorly run and has become a dump. The projection and sound are bad. Pictures on all screens is very dim.

Every spring, we hear that it will be the last year of the Valley 6. And then every summer, the drive-in opens. This dance has gone on for years. With the place in disrepair as Ken describes, I wonder if this will finally be it. Then again, the story lostmemory references above says the Valley 6 is a money maker for Pacific Theaters. (The story above also says that the City of Auburn has development plans for that land, although there's no real timeline for "the end.")

The Valley Drive-In is the last of what was a very large Washington drive-in chain. They were known in Washington state as "United Drive-Ins", and were part of the Forman/Pacific chains of California.

In their time, the United drive-ins were state-of-the-art theatres, though it is true that they deteriorated in later years.

As for the Valley; most of its problem is that there's been an ongoing effort to redevelop the property for years. I first heard of them closing over 14 years ago, and as has been noted, it's opening is an annual event, far from certain.

The story I get is that the property owners actually did get the permits to redevelop, but stopped when the bottom fell out of the rental market. The drive-in sits on 56 acres of prime real estate, and operating the business goes a long ways toward paying off their substantial taxes, so it remains open as the owners wait for commercial footage to be needed again. As I understand it, the permit package has a life of some 10 or 15 years, and the owners can begin the demolition process anytime within that period without re-permitting.

Of course, the main problem with this kind of operation is that they don't see any reason to dump a lot of money into the place IF it actually turns out they'd be tearing it down. The catch is they never tear it down, and the money doesn't get invested, so everything does tend to go downhill.

They have done some work on the screens recently, and they've installed FM in one of their screens. They have AM sound on the rest of them, with wires you have to clip on your antenna or tape on your window.

In its time, this was a pretty impressive place. It's still worth checking out, though it admittedly doesn't represent the best a drive-in could be right now. If nothing else, it's worth being able to say you went there, as drive-ins all tend to be unique experiences.

This is one of the last drive ins in washington it would be a shame to destoy a piece of our history . I think that if they put some $ into it the people would flock to it becase how many teens\twentys can say they have been to a drive-in , soon no teens will be able to say it . I don't see anyone tearing down museums because they are in disrepair . They just tore down the midway drive-in sign it would be ashame to lose another one . I went to this drive-in when I was a teen 15 years ogo and it was one of the most memerable time I have ever had at a theater . We went with some of our close friends and sat in the back of a truck with lounge chairs and blankets and sipped hot cider . Now I have a back problem and new theater seats no not recline so I will only go to the drive-ins !!! Thanks for posting this comment box Jeff Wuestenhoefer ( j.wuest@comcast.net) P.S I hope all teens get a chance to sit in a pick up and drink hot cider .

This is one of the last drive ins in washington it would be a shame to destoy a piece of our history . I think that if they put some $ into it the people would flock to it becase how many teens\twentys can say they have been to a drive-in , soon no teens will be able to say it . I don't see anyone tearing down museums because they are in disrepair . They just tore down the midway drive-in sign it would be ashame to lose another one . I went to this drive-in when I was a teen 15 years ogo and it was one of the most memerable time I have ever had at a theater . We went with some of our close friends and sat in the back of a truck with lounge chairs and blankets and sipped hot cider . Now I have a back problem and new theater seats no not recline so I will only go to the drive-ins !!! Thanks for posting this comment box Jeff Wuestenhoefer ( j.wuest@comcast.net) P.S I hope all teens get a chance to sit in a pick up and drink hot cider .

Run down, not run down... It doesn't matter a whole lot to me!! I've attended many movies at this drive in and have always been able to hear and see the movie. The price is affordable and it's a freakin drive in... you can't get much cooler than that. I'll continue to attend movies at this theater for as long as I can!!!

Joannaliz:
You owe it to yourself to check out the Rodeo 3 drive-in over on highway 3 next to the Bremerton airport. The picture and sound quality will blow you away. They have brand new playground equipment for the kids too. They also have an extensive menu of food to please every taste.

Joannaliz:
You owe it to yourself to check out the Rodeo 3 drive-in over on highway 3 next to the Bremerton airport. The picture and sound quality will blow you away. They have brand new playground equipment for the kids too. They also have an extensive menu of food to please every taste.

Is this now 5 screens? Their Web site makes it seem so: www.valleydriveins.com

Did they lose a screen? Maybe they should change their name to the Valley "5" Drive-In. :)

I did some sleuthing ... It is still six screens. One of the screens is "currently down for repairs."

It's been "down for repairs" almost two years from what I understand.

Here is a photo of the Valley 6 Drive-In.

Any idea if it will hold on for another season in 2008?

Mark: It all depends on who you talk to. Every year there is a threat of closing. There are developers ready to pounce on the land. I hear the Valley 6 does OK business, though.

The Valley DI is open again for at least another season. Their ad in the Seattle Times appeared today with the usual three screens opening. The others will open when the weather turns nicer.

But they are going to still be operating this season minus one screen _again_

Former Cineplex Odeon Dm and great guy Kieth K has run this theater for years.

Screen number 5 was badly damaged a few years ago in a wind storm. It was the first screen and the smallest screen at valley 6. As I understand it from talking to people who work there they will most likely never fix it. The owners of the property would like to develope the land in the very near future. The company running the drive-in (pacific theaters or united drive-ins depending on who you ask) won't put a dime into the place unless they know it will be staying around. It's actually in horible shape I'm suprized the health department has not shut down the snack bar. Some of the 5 remaining screens are so dirty and in such bad shape it can be hard to see the movies. The AM sound is so scratchy the old speakers sounded better. The gravel lot is so worn that walking after a rain can be unpleasant. They do have security officers walking around however.

The name of this theater should be changed to Valley Drive-In and screens reduced to five.

You'd think so, but the United Drive-Ins/Pacific Theaters newspaper ad says that it's the Valley 6 Drive In, therefore the name should NOT be changed. Should the number of screens be changed? That's up for debate...

The name on this theaters website is Valley Drive-In and not Valley 6 Drive-In. The policy here is to use the name given on a theaters website. And five screens are advertised on this theaters website so thats the number that should be used above.

If you go to valley 6 drive-in you will find that the sign out front says Valley 6 Drive-in. Maybe Pacific Theaters should rename the drive-in to just Valley but it is Valley 6 Drive-in theater. And yes thier website and local newspaper ad only list movies for 5 screen but the theater does in fact have 6 screens though one of them is not currently in use... or useable. Just because thier not using one screen does not mean that it does not exist.

Well, I went down to Valley 6 this past Sunday actually May 10th and saw Wolverine and Taken, played on screen one. Man just ten or so years ago that place was fairly nice, I'm always disappointed how deteriorated the place is. I know that the won't put any real money into the place but cleaning all the years of green mold off the screens and fixing that nasty hiss in the AM sound system would make the movies a little more watchable. I know that screen 4 will most likely never get repaired, heck theres almost nothing left of it now. But I don't understand why they can't do a few little things or there going to loose the few people that still go there, or maybe thats what they want, a final excuse to close.

another image of the valley 6 drive-in can be seen here.
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTb_rD_yZKP.oARe6jzbkF/SIG=129c3mu1k/EXP=1244156227/**http%3A//www.flickr.com/photos/misterkrista/3475093681/

another photo can be seen here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27097924@N02/2762752691/in/photostream/