Memri Drive-In
107 10th Avenue W.,
Milan,
IL
61264
107 10th Avenue W.,
Milan,
IL
61264
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The Memri Drive-In opened in 1948, the first drive-in theater to open in the Quad-Cities region, with the film "Abilene Town". It could accomodate 600 cars and was situated between Routes 67 and 92. In the early-1970’s, the capacity of the drive-in’s parking was greatly reduced when Showcase Cinemas Theatre was built on a part of the site.
The Memri Drive-In continued to operate until the end of summer 1986, with its last double feature being “Aliens” and “Big Trouble in Little China”. The Memri Drive-In was demolished afterward to make way for more parking for the adjacent Showcase Cinemas Theatre, which eventually was expanded to eleven screens, though closed due to competition from even larger nearby multiplexes in 2002.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Owner in 1963 was Barney Brotman.
I had the pleasure of managing it that final summer of 1986. We kept it open through a weekend of flooding. The structure holding the screen up was a haven for pigeons and spiders that still gives me nightmares. Big Trouble in Little China is still a youthful favorite of mine.
It held 750 cars in 1956 and was owned at that time by Barney Brotman.
1970 aerial has been posted of the drive-in and the Showcase Cinemas.
The Milan Showcase Cinemas and the adjoining Memri Drive-In. 1974 photo added courtesy of the Retro Quad Cities Facebook page.
Odd name!! Why was it called Memri?