Starlight Drive-In
947 W. 4th Street,
Chadron,
NE
69337
947 W. 4th Street,
Chadron,
NE
69337
1 person
favorited this theater
The Starlite Drive-In opened in 1953 and was operated by the Black Hills Amusement Co. The car capacity was listed at 300 cars. In 1957 it was renamed Starlight Drive-In The drive-in was later operated by Commonwealth Theatres. It was still listed as open in the early-1970’s.
Contributed by
Chris1982
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Found it. The Drive-In is just on the west side of town approximately 947 West 4th Street. You can still just barely see the general shape and faint outlines of the ramps. https://goo.gl/maps/XgDng
This is another site where the concession building still remains, in fact for some reason the google street view car drove right up the road and got a great look at it!
Boxoffice, June 20, 1977: “Ron Montgomery has been appointed city manager for Commonwealth Theatres in Chadron, Neb., and will be watching over operations in the Eagle Theatre and Starlight Drive-In.”
Looks like there was another drive-in before the Starlight.
Boxoffice, July 12, 1952: “Joe Sikes has opened his new Stockade outdoor theatre, with 250-car capacity, which cost about $50,000, at Chadron, Neb.”
And the following week, Boxoffice indicated that Black Hills' drive-in in Chadron was unfinished. “The Black Hills Amusement Co. is building drive-ins in many of its towns … They will be about 300-car capacity, with the Chadron job almost ready for opening.”
The Starlite Drive-In likely opened August 30, 1952 although protestors were trying to prevent that. It definitely reopened for the 1953 season as the Starlite. Ray E. David closed the Starlite for the season on November 3, 1956. Black Hills Amusement bought the Stockade Drive-In to operate the Pace Theatre in Chadron as well as both of its drive-ins in 1957. It changed the name of the Starlite to Starlight.