Ledgewood Drive-In
Intersection of Routes 46 and 10 at old Ledgwood Circle,
Ledgewood,
NJ
07876
Intersection of Routes 46 and 10 at old Ledgwood Circle,
Ledgewood,
NJ
07876
4 people
favorited this theater
I grew up on Mooney Mountain in Roxbury Township (mailing address was Flanders) overlooking Succasunna/Ledgewood. The old Ledgewood Drive-In was situated next to the old Sandwiches Unlimited and on the other side of the old Ledgewood Circle and behind Smiles II adult dance club. This was also the junction of Routes 10 and 46 (the beginning of Route 10). I would always remember seeing pictures on it as we drove by with its high screen.
It was opened in 1950 and the owner retired in 1975. It closed down in 1983. It was owned by Wilfred “Bill” Paul Smith Sr. who died in 2002 at the age of 89. He owned the Ledgewood and Newton Drive-Ins. According to the local newspaper, he was a pioneer of the drive-in movie theater business and his name appears in the Smithsonian Institute. He was also involved in building all the original drive-in theaters in New Jersey.
Eventually, it was torn down and a BJs warehouse sits adjacent to the property – its parking lot is where the main field was. The Circle was torn down and made into the mess it is today back in the mid 90s, and that put Sandwiches Unlimited into a downward spiral and it went out of business. A highlight was driving around the circle to see the new slogan on their marquee.
Contributed by
Dave Bonan
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Recent comments (view all 24 comments)
that stinks…around my neck of the woods, Walgreens just opened in Rockaway and the new one in Ledgewood will be like that one. It would be cool if Morris County had its own drive-in; the only closest one would be in Warwick, NY on Route 94.
The Garden Auto-Torium was part of the David Snaper Theater Circuit in the early Seventies.
Friends and I in high school would drive to the Ledgewood in the mid 1970s from Summit. I was the runt of the litter and got to hide in the trunk in order to save the $3-4 admission. Claustrophobic joy.
As for the closing date of the drive-in, it had to be at the end of the 1986 summer/autumn season.
I distinctly recall seeing ALIENS, late in it’s run, at the classic Ledgewood Drive-in. I belive that was one among the last 4 or 5 things shown there.
Sandwiches Unlimited reopened a couple of years ago. It is now across the street from Ramsey’s in a small strip of stores on Rt 46.
Was mentioned in the documentary “Drive-In Movie Memories” in 2001.
Early on in the doc, they were showing an array of news clippings of new offerings by the drive-ins, and I zoomed in and hit pause to read a clipping from my hometown drive-in! It said from the Morristown Daily (newspaper) that they would defy winter and plan to show (historic) NYE shows as the first drive-in theater in North Jersey. Five full features.
where exactly was this? where walgreen is?
It was located where BJ’s is now.
any evidence still there?
Go to http://ledgewooddrivein.home.comcast.net and follow the third link listed. The only thing left is the exit road with the stone roadway and the white landscaping timbers on the side.