Cascade Drive-In
26 W 741 North Avenue,
West Chicago,
IL
60185
26 W 741 North Avenue,
West Chicago,
IL
60185
13 people
favorited this theater
The Cascade Drive-In opened in 1961, and is one of the only remaining drive-in theaters in the Chicagoland area in operation. It is also the largest in Illinois with parking for over 1,200 cars.
The Cascade screens double-features, and is open from April to October, seven nights a week.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 21 comments)
Does anyone remember the name of the drive in on Roosevelt Rd and Route 83 in Oakbrook Terrace???
The Ski-Hi Drive-In http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/iltskih Closed in either 1969 or 1970 replaced then by Dispensas Castle of Toys.
I saw E.T. at Cascade and I can say it’s one of my favorite childhood memories. There is something magical about pulling up to Cascade on a warm summer night and getting ready to do what people in the ‘burbs have been doing for over forty years. Get there early, get a good spot. Play some frisbee or throw around the football. Pile into the back of the truck with pillows and blankets and a jug of kool aid. Watch the kids faces as the opening credits roll for the hit of the summer. Nothing like it. Who can resist the flippy hot dog and the dancing ice cream? Not me! I hope Cascade is there for my son’s children, just like it has been for me and my parents.
This was the site of my one drive-in visit. I made the effort to go out here and see a movie about six years ago because I figured these places were on their way out. It was pretty cool. People backed up their minvans to the screen, pulled out lawn chairs, tuned the sound in on the radio, and had a picnic. In the distance there was bustling in and out of the seedy concession building while kids jumped around on play structures in front of the screen. The movie towered above us against the night sky, and it was of decent quality. Definitely one-of-a-kind environment in my experience.
I worked for Basil Charuhas' son, Spiro (Spike), for 8 summers (and a few very cold winters). I even met my wife of 30 years there. She was a cashier and I was a ramp attendant.
I worked for Basil Charuhas' son, Spiro (Spike), for 8 summers (and a few very cold winters). I even met my wife of 30 years there. She was a cashier and I was a ramp attendant.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/pstao/470910158/
Here is part of a September 1989 article from the Illinois Daily Herald:
Jeffrey Kohlberg is a drive-in movie nut. He began working at his father’s drive-in when he was eight years old â€" painting, cutting grass, working the concession stands, picking up golf balls at the driving range that was part of the old 53 Drive-In in Palatine. His dad, Stanford Kohlberg, at one time operated 50 theaters. Today, Kohlberg, 42, is back in the drive-in business after being out of it since 1987, when a Palatine drive-in .that he and his sister, Jarrol Cataldo, rented from their dad, was sold. The two own 53 Drive-In Management Inc., in Lincolnshire, which has operated the Des Plaines Theatre since 1985 and which this year took over operation of the Cascade Drive-In in West Chicago.
“The finest drive-in in the U.S.,” Kohlberg calls it, speaking admiringly of how well maintained it was by its previous operator. While it was built in the 1950s, it looks new, he said. “That place is like it’s been in a time capsule all these years,” he said.The previous owner, Spiro Charuhas, sold the drive-in to an investment group when he decided to retire, and Kohlberg was able to lease the theater until some other plan comes along for the land.
Cascade Drive-In marquee.
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MY wife and I went to the drive-in theater last nite (7/30)with our two dogs and had a very nice time. However,according to their web site the first feature was to start a 8 PM and the second feature was to start at 10:05 PM. The first feature did not start until after 9 PM. They should either put the correct information on their website or make announcements at the theater as to the correct starting times.