Hope Valley Drive-In
4161 Old Chapel Hill Road,
Durham,
NC
27707
4161 Old Chapel Hill Road,
Durham,
NC
27707
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Located off Chapel Hill Road between Durham and Chapel Hill, the Hope Valley Drive-In(aka Boulevard Drive-In) was one of several drive-in theatres that were in operation in the Durham area.
The theatre opened in the 1940’s and closed somewhere in the late-1960’s(when it had stiff competition with several drive-in venues on that stretch on Chapel Hill Boulevard, including the Carolina-Duke Drive-In and others).
The theatre was closed and demolished in 1971. A shopping plaza or either a government building now stands where the Hope Valley Drive-In Theatre once stood.
Contributed by
raymond
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Have no HOPE VALLEY DRIVE-IN listed or BOULEVARD DRIVE-In Listed in my 1956 Motion Picture Almanac. Shows Six Drive-ins in that city.
Thanks Mike Again.
The only 2 names I can come up with are:
Chapel Hill Road Drive-In, with 2 different roads mentioned, Chapel Hill Road and Highway 15, which are the same road, I think?
Valley Drive-In on Durham-Chapel Hill Road, which again, I think is the same road?
Correction: It was also known as the Boulevard Drive-In Theatre located at 3440 Old Chapel Hill Road in Durham,27707. It closed in 1971 and was demolished later that year. The drive-in was basically directed at the intersection of what is now University Drive and Old Chapel Hill Road(formerly Durham-Chapel Hill Road).
Either the location or the dates are inaccurate for this drive-in. Aerial photos from 1964 do not show any evidence of a drive-in at the address provided. Further research is necessary to establish a more accurate placement for the drive-in, and a solid closing date. If it was still standing in 1964, there are high quality aerial photos from 1964 available on Earth Explorer to document the location.
As far as I remember Chapel Hill Rd became “Old” Chapel Hill Rd. when Chapel Hill Blvd was built. I don’t think this drive-in was located on Chapel Hill Blvd. The information I have on “Carolina-Duke Drive-In” shows it operating from 1949 to 1952.
I also have information a “Valley Drive-In” was open on Durham-Chapel Hill Rd in 1954. The June 3, 1948 Durham Morning-Herald has an advertisement for “Drive-In Chapel Hill Rd” showing “The Michigan Kid” starring John Hall & Rita Johnson.
I downloaded USDA Historical Aerial Photos from the UNC Library and there’s a drive-in at the intersection of Old Chapel Hill Rd and Garrett drive. It’s image 12P_26.
The location is completely overgrown by trees in the 1972 set, image 172_88.
“4161 Old Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707” will get you there on Google Maps. There’s a Family Fare Supermarket and a Four Seasons Auto Care there now.