Horseshoe Drive-In
Highway 83 and County Road 114,
Ballinger,
TX
76821
Highway 83 and County Road 114,
Ballinger,
TX
76821
1 person
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As told to me on a recent trip to Ballinger, a lifelong resident recalled going to the Horseshoe drive in as a kid in the early 1960s. It was located south of town on Highway 83 where an abondoned auto junk yard now sits. Long ago demolished, I not could see any remains of the drive-in.
Contributed by
Don Lewis
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
So they tore down a drive-in to make a junk yard? Sad :(
Hi Don….I know how you feel about adding a theater that your not sure of. My advice is, add it anyway. Otherwise it might never get added. I’m wondering if these were two different drive-ins or were they one in the same that had a name change at some point in time. Maybe it opened as the Horseshoe and was renamed the Hillcrest. I can’t find any info on the Horseshoe and very little on the Hillcrest. The following link has a topographical map of Ballinger showing where the Hillcrest drive-in was located. I’m not sure if it will be of any help to you or not.
View link
There definitely was a Horseshoe Drive-in, South of Ballinger on the East side of US 83 south of the Colorado River bridge but not quite as far as Paint Rock. The first time I went there must have been about 1950 at the age of about 5 with my grandfather (Q.V. Miller, d. 1954). Saw many movies there while visiting through the 50s and into the 60s. The last time I saw it standing was the fall of 1967 when I drove up from San Antonio for a weekend visit. It was a large wooden screen building with a long narrow “apartment” in the bottom, built immediately post-WWII, like the Hillcrest North of Ballinger or the Fiesta in Winters (both q.v.) All the foregoing is true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Best wishes, good luck, and good counting to all.
The Hillcrest was North of town on the East side of Bronte Highway (not U.S. 83), a little North of the present-day high school. In the late 1980s it was an oil-field equipment junkyard, like many other Texas drive-ins at that time. The last time I saw it about 2002, it was a Miracle-Gro plant; but the original driveway was there, and a couple of showcases with posters from the closing bill still in place. Saw “Suddenly Last Summer” there in 1959 or 1960. I was only about 15 so it went clear over my head—probably just as well.
Hello W.H. and thanks for your comments! I have inlaws in Coleman and San Angelo. Do you live in or from the area. Please tell me more
at thanks -Don
I’m living in Dallas now, but still have relatives in Ballinger and go there on occasion. My mother grew up there and her youngest brother and his 4 kids and their families (and dogs and cats) are still there. Drop me a line if you like at Best wishes.
I grew up in Ballinger as a child and definately remember going to the HorseShoe and the HillCrest Drive-In’s. First movie i saw at the Horseshoe was Shenandoah……..remember it well! Can’t remember much more but that drive in was a definate! I also remember the location and until a few years ago the tall pipes remained standing where the screen was. I have 4 attached metal chairs…..red that sat at the concession stand. I bought them many many years ago. They will never be detached. We also had 3 walk-in theaters….wow. Ballinger Texas was surely hoppin then….HOW SAD….Suppose to be the friendliest town in texas….that’s bull! I’m back here but work in a neighboring town. Just have to pray daily that Miracle Grow plant doesn’t blow Ballinger off the map!
The 1975 IMPA lists both the Hillcrest and Horseshoe Drive-In in Ballinger. Car capacity at that time for the Horseshoe Drive-In was 300.
None of the Drive-In sites lists the Horseshow Drive-In. Maybe someone should make them aware of this Drive-In so that can add it to their data base.
The Horseshoe Drive-In was located on the northeast corner of the intersection of US 83 at County Road 114.
Here is an aerial photo from 1966 which clearly shows the location of this drive-in:
http://flic.kr/p/94pgGY