Family Drive-In

MichaelKilgore on June 23, 2022 at 3:53 pm

The Family is still active, though it’s trying to raise money to refurbish its screen. Its new web site is at https://www.thefamilydi.com/ .

MichaelKilgore on November 16, 2017 at 1:48 pm

A lot of news outlets got confused about the Family’s ownership structure. I guess the Wikipedia entry wasn’t around yet.

From The Washington Post, July 26, 2013: “William Dalke Jr. built the Family Drive-in Theatre outside Winchester in 1956 in the midst of an American drive-in building boom. … in time (son Tim) Dalke took over the Family Drive-In. ‘I twinned the screen in 1989 because we could double the product we were offering the public,’ he says. … (Dalke) says that Jim Kopp will be his first option if he ever wants to sell the park”.

From WTOP, August 2012: “owner Jim Kopp … took over the theater three years ago.”

From the Drive-In Theater Adventures blog, August 2013: “In March 2009, Tim Dalke leased the theatre to Jim Kopp (the lease runs for another 7 years).”

Tine263 on September 4, 2013 at 6:29 pm

I had such a great time visiting the Family Drive-in! My best friend moved to VA a few years ago and we went on one of my visits.

You can see some photos on my blog post – they still use the car speakers!! :)

http://driveinadventures.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/family-drive-in-stephens-city-va/

ElCartero on June 22, 2008 at 3:37 pm

Some more photos:
http://driveins.4t.com/va-stephenscity-family.htm

I think it’s still in the Dalke family, although they have sold or closed all their other theatres, including ones in Woodstock, Strasburg, New Market and other area towns.

kencmcintyre on January 24, 2006 at 5:29 pm

Photos:
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/1/family.jpg
http://www.agilitynut.com/05/1/family2.jpg