Winnetka Drive-In
20210 Prairie Avenue,
Chatsworth,
CA
91311
20210 Prairie Avenue,
Chatsworth,
CA
91311
6 people
favorited this theater
The Winnetka Drive-in was the last drive-in to be built (1976) and the last to close (1996) in the San Fernando Valley. A large multiplex occupies the site of the former drive-in.
Contributed by
David Knatcal
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Here is a condensed (ahem) version of an LA Times story dated 5/17/96:
The Winnetka Drive-in Theater in Chatsworth, one of only two left in the San Fernando Valley, will be torn down later this year to make way for one of the largest indoor movie theater complexes in the state. On the site of the drive-in at Prairie and Winnetka avenues is to be a multimillion-dollar megaplex with shops, restaurants and 26 movie screens capable of seating 5,500 viewers, Pacific Theatres announced Thursday. It is scheduled to open in June 1997. The demise of the Winnetka Drive-in, which the company said was built in the 1970s, will leave the San Fernando Valley with only one outdoor movie theater, the Van Nuys Drive-in, also owned by Pacific Theatres.
…. The Winnetka 6 was a really dumb idea – If you didn’t get in the correct lane right away, you were off to some other movie you didn’t want to see …
Also – while you were watching YOUR movie, the flicker from the OTHER screens distracted you … Bummer!
Pacific actually wanted to keep 3 screens (Hence the open area up front of the walk in till the 2005-2006 time frame). However the local city coucil member didn’t want the drive in so he stopped the plan. What an Ahole. The Simi also closed the same year and the Van Nuys was the last one standing.
That was councilman Wilkinson – the town drunk …. he was also responsible for holding up the refurbishing of the RESEDA walk-in … a real loser!
He did get a local park & rec center named after himself.
Was the LA Times wrong about the Van Nuys Drive-In still being open in May 1996?
** According to SEVERAL websites here’s the stats for
VAN NUYS DI =
Built (in) 1948 -
Vehicle Capacity 890, Eventually 1400.
Closed August 1996
Demolished in August, 1998.
… a grade school now sits in it’s former location.
Went to the drive-in once and went to the walk-in once. You can still feel the spirit of the drive-in when you’re standing in the parking lot.
Here is a 1980 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/ygl8jp8
Website about the old Winnetka Drive-in:
[url]http://www.drive-insdownunder.com.au/worldwide/ca_winnetka6.htm[/url]
I have alot of memories going there when I was a teenager,We used to load up our cars n trucks and party at the movies,I remember buying cigarettes for dana plato,rest her soul, But we spent alot of times there,My best friend loved the giant spider invasion movie,and it seems we saw it evey week it played.