Pioneer Drive-In

2099 SE 14th Street,
Des Moines, IA 50320

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Dubinsky Brothers

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Pioneer Drive-In

The Pioneer Drive-In opened in August 19, 1959 with June Allyson in “Stranger in My Arms” & James Cagney in “Never Steal Anything Small”. Car capacity was 700 cars. The drive-in was operated by Dubinsky Bothers and was closed in 1987. The site, with the screen still standing in 2022, is now the Autorama RV Center.

Contributed by Chris1982

Recent comments (view all 4 comments)

rivest266
rivest266 on November 29, 2015 at 11:40 am

August 19th, 1959 grand opening ad in photo section.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on October 27, 2021 at 2:24 pm

Variety, June 24, 1964: “Richard L. Davis … manages the Pioneer Drive-In Theater … (which) is being remodeled at this time, with 200 speakers being added.”

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on August 10, 2022 at 5:39 pm

After closing in 1987, A bit of the traces became an AutoRama RV Center, but otherwise the entire theater was still attached until the parking traces were converted into a parking lot for RVs in the latter half of the 1990s. As of 2022, the screen was still there, mainly covered by trees.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on February 10, 2024 at 9:32 pm

Boxoffice, July 8, 1963: “Nature put on quite a performance with an early evening windstorm Friday, June 29 … the Pioneer’s attractions board was a crumpled shambles following the 70-mile-an-hour blow.”

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