Natick Drive-In

321 Speen Street,
Natick, MA 01760

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Natick Drive In

The Natick Drive-In was a great place for the family to go. In addition to the movie screen, there was a neat little playground there with miniature trains, boat rides, swings, and more for the kiddies. It opened June 29, 1950 with Maureen O'Hara in “Commanche Territory”.

I was extremely young back in the late-1960’s and early-1970’s when my parents would occasionally take me and my three siblings to shows here. I looked forward to playing in the park since I’d usually end up asleep on the rear package tray of the family car by the time the features were ready to begin. The only movie I seem to recall seeing there was “Lighthouse at the Edge of the World” (1971). I was only five at the time, and recall being terrified for days after.

I had my first tastes of Dr. Pepper (relatively rare in New England at the time) and Lotta Lemon there. The concession stand was a far cut above what most theatre snack bars would offer.

Contributed by Nostalgio

Recent comments (view all 10 comments)

greg6363
greg6363 on May 22, 2007 at 9:10 pm

Spent many nights at the Natick Drive-In as a youngster in the 70’s. I remember seeing The Sting, Exorcist II and many other films on the big screen at Speen Street.

darklight
darklight on June 1, 2007 at 5:03 pm

i spent alot of time at the natick drive-in when i was a kid in the
late 1960s and part of the 1970s.wonder bread bakery was across the street you could smell the bread baking.as you watched the movies.

MPol
MPol on January 11, 2009 at 12:38 am

Back in the winter of 1969, as a high school senior, I recall seeing a double feature there: ‘Bullitt" and
“The Reivers”, both of which starred Steve McQueen. Cool Drive-in that was.

NYozoner
NYozoner on February 14, 2011 at 11:25 pm

321 Speen St, Natick, MA 01760

The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is currently occupied by a shopping center.

Here is a 1969 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on February 15, 2011 at 12:51 am

There are several pictures of this rather elegant drive-in on its gallery page at Drive-ins.com: http://www.drive-ins.com/gallery/matnati

mark edmunds
mark edmunds on February 15, 2011 at 10:25 am

Great drive-in, as a kid after supper and in pj’s we would head to the Natick with our parents, the smell of fresh bread from Wonder was always in the air! don’t remember ever being awake by the end of the movie? Years later I apprenticed in the booth(with my learners permit!) getting my ‘mileage'to take the state projectionist exam.

David Wodeyla
David Wodeyla on May 30, 2011 at 12:09 am

I took the picture of the screen in 1979, just after the Drive In closed,and was about to be torn down. The other photo I took and uploaded, was the view of the front. Taken the same day, you can see my 1966 Ford Mustang convertible parked in front.

rivest266
rivest266 on May 11, 2013 at 5:37 pm

June 29th, 1950 grand opening ad uploaded here.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on April 18, 2019 at 8:07 am

Opened with “Outside the walls” and “Comanche Territory”.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on April 18, 2019 at 8:08 am

What is Lotta Lemon?

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