Smithtown All Weather Drive-In
Route 25 and Nesconset Highway,
Nesconset,
NY
11767
Route 25 and Nesconset Highway,
Nesconset,
NY
11767
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing all 25 comments
There’s an aerial short of the drive in (and many other theaters in this odd pamphlet:
http://movie-theatre.org/usa/ny/NYC/NY%20NYC%20Long%20Island.pdf
During the late sixties..my family worked there from my mother at the ticket booth, my brother as an usher in the indoor theatre and myself in the concession stand where I specialized in knishes..deepfried full of heartburn. It was during the time of Bond’s “You Only Live Twice”
Growing up in the 70’s, I lived on the road located behind the outdoor screen here. At night if I had my bedroom window open, I could hear the movie playing. The summer of 1977 was incredible as I would listen to Star Wars each and every night.
My neighbors there built a deck in their backyard that would allow a angeled view of the screen, and I watched Star Wars at least 2 dozen times that way that summer.
Fun times!
tILSLOEWS see comment i made on screen partners.I know you will like it. This Drive-in is very very large.And it ain’t in Texas.
Very large drive-in.
One little correction: the movie’s name was “The Sword IN the Stone”.
I remember this movie house very fondly. When my Aunt and Uncle – accompanied by my Grandmother – became part of the Brooklyn diaspora into Suffolk County during the early 1960’s, they settled into Selden, which was situated a few miles east of this theater. On two occasions – one outdoor and one inside – we visited this theater. While I distinctly remember seeing Disney’s “The Sword and the Stone” here, I don’t recall the other encounter. I do, however, recall that we greatly enjoyed both visits.
When my relatives moved to Selden, it was still part of the “country” and had not yet been wholly incorporated into an emerging suburbia. For a couple of years, in fact, an extensive forest existed just south of my relative’s property line. (It has now become the grounds of Selden High School.) So, just as Selden became part of suburbia, this old drive-in lived out its useful existence – and now hosts a “little boxes” type suburban development. Thus goes progress!
Sorry L. I. forever, the names escape me…..but remeber havingsome fun times with those I worked with.
In my opinion the biggest error on the Drive In site is to list one in Centereach. Hardtop yes. Drive-In no.
Many of those sites have errors. The opening date can be added to the intro above. Thanks.
The Drive-In site is incorrect. According to an ad in the Port Jefferson Record, the opening date for this theatre (these theatres, indoor and outdoor) was Tues, May 29, 1962.
This site has some information. Timeline given is 1961 to 1985.
Hi all… Did you work at the Smithtown All Weather Drive-In and Indoor Theater around 1974 – 1978 ? if so do you recall names of some employees ? Wendy, Karen, Danny, Vinny ?
Hope to hear from you !
Hey JimMann9,
Would love to see any pictures of the SMITHTOWN AW DI if you have them. Thanks for the memories!!!!!!!!!!
*How come no listings/postings for the Hauppauge Theater ??
The Smithtown Outdoor was actually better than the Commack Drive-In. In high school I saw some weird double bills there as well. Hard to believe I saw “I Drink Your Blood” there in 1979 . The movie was already 8 years old, pretty old even for a second billed movie! I saw “Halloween” there and as I recall, the outdoor was opened even in the WINTER! At the Indoor part, I think the only movies I saw in there was “Creepshow”, “Night Train to Terror” and “The Perils of Gwendolyn”. The snack bar was very 1960’s looking, and pretty big too. Does anyone know when this theater opened ?
According to an August 29, 1976 NY Times story, there were 14 drive-ins on L.I. Admission was $2.50 per person and children under 12 were admitted free at all of the drive-ins except for the Smithtown All Weather Drive-In where admission was $3.00 per carload. I guess that includes the people in the trunk. :)
The Drive In Moives in Smithtown is on Middle Country Rd, in Nesconset right where the houses are now, It closed before or after Glora in Oct. of 1985 thats when Glora hit Long Island in Sept 27 of 1985. In the mid 1990’s is when the building was still standing in that time is when they started to build the houses there.
The Rocky Point Drive In is were the Golf course place is now.
If you people have what to know anything, ask me about it.
NY Times Nov 24, 1960
“LONG ISLAND SITE TO GET 2 THEATRES; 32 Acres at Nesconset Sold for Film House and Drive-ln:
Thirty-two acres on Middle Country Road in Nesconset, L.L. have been purchased by Nesconset 25 Theatre, Inc., for improvement with a combination standard and drive-in theatre. The buyer is a company headed by Joseph F. Seider of Bay Shore".
Towering Inferno played the indoor theatre here
View link
I worked there in the concession stands I believe for two summers, the theatre location is now a condo unit, south side Middle Country road.
Actually my entire family worked there, me in concessions, my older brother as an usher in the indoor and my mom at the ticket booth out front. Then there was lots of woods around the theatre and we built a tree fort outside the fence and turned up the car speakers to hear the moovie at night ( this before I worked there )
When a film was a hit is lasted for weeks, ‘You Only Live Twice’ played the entire summer, two shows a night WITH intermission. It was piped into the concession stand and we recognized when the break was to come and prepare for the onslaught. From listenning to it so many times I can still recite the movie and sing along with the Nancy Sinatra title song all to the fright of my friends
It stands somewhere around there, but I think it became the development for modern housing. You know, the type that may fall on you if you sneeze.
So that’s pretty much where the Pizzeria Uno’s now stands.
My Sister and I went to see Disney Movies at this drive in. That was during the 1970s. It had one thing I never saw in a drive in, when the snack bar was closing there would be graphics on the screen. I also recall those old, drive in speakers. There was one truth about these speakers, either you lifted them before you opened the door, or you took a chance at paying for new glass.
This theater was located on the S/E corner of Rt25 and Rt347. I’m posting a link to a topographical map of that area which should show the drive-ins location.
View link