Comanche Drive-In
Highway 350 West,
Buena Vista,
CO
81211
Highway 350 West,
Buena Vista,
CO
81211
2 people
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The Comanche Drive-In opened around 1967. This single screen drive-in has a capacity for 210 cars. The Comanche Drive-In is still listed as open.
Contributed by
Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
A wonderful, nostalgic single screen drive in. My all time favorite drive in! As of summer ‘06, the theater still employs carbon arc lamps and 2000’ change over system. Owned and opeated by The Groy Family who constructed it in 1966.
Link to and interesting news article about the theater:
View link
I visted the drive in in July of ‘06 and saw “Over The Hedge”. The presentation was god. This drive in features first run films.
There is a nice color photo by Dave Nance here. Click on page 3:
http://tinyurl.com/ysogkr
The Comanche Drive-In in Buena Vista, Colorado is not closed but its future is up in the air (no pun intended). The theater was open intermittently throughout the ‘07 season due to sound equipment issues. On May 8th of 2008, the owner’s wife very suddenly and unexpectedly passed away right before the drive-in was to reopen, so needless to say, the drive-in never opened that year. John Groy,the owner (who also built the theater) is about 80 years old and his wife was some 15 years his junior so I personally suspect that she had quite a bit to do with the theater’s upkeep and management. It is still unknown if it will reopen this year. It may be a good idea to give Mr. Groy a call and encourage him to open up for '09.
I would also like to note that this is a very original drive-in. It still runs 2 thousand foot changeover, on two RCA projectors with a carbon arc light source.
Here is another marquee photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y6rv77g
Surprizes me they can even use Carbon Arcs.thought OSHA banned them.
Address above is incorrect. Approx. location of this drive-in is on County Road 339, just south of County Road 306.
Correct address is 17063 County Road 306 Buena Vista CO, approximately 3 miles west on Hwy 306. Mailing address PO Box 1046. 719-395-2766. Open May through September as weather permits.
Commanche, thanks for the correct address, does the Commanche have a website?