Knoxville Drive-In

Knoxville, TN

128 Forrest Park Boulevard

, Knoxville, TN 37919 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed/Demolished
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Unknown

Function:	Unknown
Seats:	Unknown
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Unknown
Firm:	Unknown

The Knoxville Drive-In was built in 1950 and closed in 1982. When I lived in Knoxville during the 70's, it was run by ABC Theatres who later sold out to Plitt I believe.

When I visited Knoxville during the World's Fair in 1982, it was being used as an RV campground, for fairgoers, and I guess it never reopened. The World's Fair ended up destroying a lot of older central Knoxville that I remembered from the 70's, and the Twin Aire was the only drive in to survive the fair, although it only survived briefly. The Knoxville Drive In was located just off Kingston Pike just outside the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood, and was probably the most "upscale" drive in in Knoxville.

They usually showed A list movies, but I did see some great horror movies like THE BEAST MUST DIE, THE SPECTRE OF EDGAR ALLAN POE, and LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH there. I remember one time in the 70's, they ran a double feature of the original 1931 DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN there at a time when there were no "art houses" or retro movie theatres in Knoxville. I think there is a grocery store on the site now.

Contributed by Bob Brown

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The site of the Knoxville Drive-In was cleared and a shopping center built there in the mid-1990's. The shopping center now stands almost completely empty with no anchor and only one or two small store-front tenants. There is a commemorative plaque mentioning the drive-in and the brick yard which preceded it.

The drive-in's south edge bordered the busy Southern Railroad main line. Wonder what it was like to be sitting in the back seat of an un-airconditioned 1955 Chevy, not watching the movie, as a mile of heavily laden coal cars thundered past every half hour?

posted by Will Dunklin on Aug 3, 2007 at 10:17am

I REMEMBER GOING TO THE KNOXVILLE DRIVE IN OR THE FAMILY DRIVE WITH MY COUSINS ONE NIGHT WHILE VISITING FROM GEORGIA. I CAN REMEMBER THE FILM BUT IT WAS A LAUREL AND HARDY FEATURE LIKE THEY EDITED A BUNCH OF FILMS FROM THE 30'S FOR A MOVIE. I ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO THE TWIN AIRE DRIVE IN I SAW IT FROM THE ROAD ONE TIME. I HAD NEVER HEARD OF A TWIN DRIVE IN EVER!

posted by MikeRogers on Sep 26, 2009 at 3:25pm

NOW SHOWING AT THE KNOXVILLE DRIVE IN Sept. 18 1967

"IRMA LA DOUCE" and "TOM JONES" this was also playing at the FAMILY DRIVE IN Knoxville. Plus color cartoon.

posted by MikeRogers on Feb 3, 2010 at 6:41pm

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Knoxville Drive-In

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