Trail Drive-In
1031 SE Military Drive,
San Antonio,
TX
78214
1031 SE Military Drive,
San Antonio,
TX
78214
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The site where the Trail Drive-In once stood is now a Wal-Mart Store. Wal-Mart recently purchased some adjoining parcels and is the process of turning the Wal-Mart into a Super Center. The ozoner had a capacity of 600 cars and a good life span. Opened in 1946 and closed in 1984.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
I read somewhere that a local Ford Dealership in SA restored the Neon screen right before it was demolished to shoot a commerical at the Trail when it was still up in the early 80’s. The front of the mural depicted a cowboy on a horse looking over the range in the desert. If you do a search on this drive-in on the internet, you may be able to see examples of the mural.
The Trail was the first drive in built with In Car Speakers. It was similar to the Fredericksburg Road drive in as it was built by the same company. Unfortunately the Trail suffered the same indignity of the Fred. Road and was turned to a porno theatre in it’s last years. It was a very sad end to one of the great theatres in San Antonio.
Here is a photo, circa late 1970s:
http://tinyurl.com/ysmljg
Here is a 1973 photo from the Smithsonian:
http://tinyurl.com/d3p6og
The photo must have fallen off of the Smithsonian website. Luckily you were there to catch it.
Boxoffice of May 7, 1949, said that the architect of Underwood & Ezell’s new Trail Drive-In was Jack Corgan.
Nice screen photo ken mc.
1973 Aerial View:
View link
Was a Wal-Mart at one time, the new Wal-Mart Supercenter is located a couple of blocks to the West, new location looks to be occupied by new tenants.