Diamond State Drive-In

So disapointed they never did anything with this. the origional owners mr. & mrs. steel would not be happy everything they worked for is gone! My mother worked here until the day she died. I have so many childhood memories here & so many memories of my mother. She was so dedicated to the drive inn she worked their for free every weekend just to help out patty Dave and donnie the leasers which by the was are the ones who did all the work restoring the drive inn when it opened back up. Mr. & Mrs. steel loved and trusted them i highly doubt they would steel any signs or whatever u say! They were so deticated to keeping the drive inn going! If i had the money i would open it back up in my mothers memory. when she passed i thought what would my mother want to be after death & the only place i could think of where she enjoyed her life and loved being was the diamond state drive inn so i spread a part of her their and every summer i go their and just sit and remember! Id give anything to have this up and running again.

Filmed this around late december of 2012. Screen still looked great. Roller rink is shot! Projection room is still there as are the bench seats aside of it. the concession stand was in horrible shape. Talked to the grand Daughter of the owner the day after Christmas and she said they took it off the market and never had anyone intrested in the property. If you look in local paper’s at the time of closing it sounded like a war between them and the renter’s. She said that the people who leased the property stole her Grandfather’s original sign and took other things as well. But the leasor was the one who fixed up the property. ie his stuff! No projectors , but the power units were there. Also found tickets 4 years later in the feild laying in the grass. have some in my house now. It would take little effort to open this again. But money and time and dealing with the owners are again a challenge.

Parked 150 cars,making it that state’s smallest drive-ins.In 1956 it was owned by Albert Steele.

I was just past the site of this drive-in over the weekend. Appears abandoned. Weeds are growing high and the sign is missing its inserts. Guess those greedy heirs didn’t make out so good marketing the property.

Nice little Drive-In! Don Brown and Patty ? did a great job bringing the abandoned theatre back to life, an then operating it successfully for many years! Damn shame it couldn’t continue to operate …

Photos of the Diamond State Drive-In, click to enlarge.
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Car capacity given in 1975 was 150. Status needs to be changed to closed.

Saturday November 29th, 2008 will be the final showings at the Diamond State. With the death of Mrs. Steel the lease was not renewed. The heirs felt the property could be better marketed to developers if the drive-in was not operating.