A 1983 aerial shows the ramps and what seems to be left of the screen.
By 1987, the screen was gone.
The ramps and outline remained until at least 1992.
By 2006, it was completely gone.
The outline is still present along with faint hints of ramps, the remains of the projection booth/concession stand, some of which may still be standing (hard to tell), and the foundation of the screen.
The old entrance has been obliterated.
But access to the property today is along the old exit road which also still exists.
Is there more information about when this drive-in was open?
There was nothing on the property until sometime between 1973 & 1983 when the church was built.
And while there is enough room behind the church for a drive-in (a small one), there is no evidence at least from aerial photos from 1983 to the present.
The drive-in at 2226 US-90 appears intact in a 1956 aerial.
But the screen appears to be gone in a 1961 aerial.
But it is tough to tell as some type of structure is present.
In the same 1961 aerial, the drive-in at 633 US-90 appears intact and operational. So, that might be a clue to tell the difference between them.
Today, it is private property and does not appear to be a business. But there are quite a few trailers, pallets, and general stuff scattered about the property.
A house sits where the screen once stood.
All traces of the ramps and outline are gone.
It’s difficult to tell, but it appears the projection booth/concession stand is still present. I say “difficult to tell” because both structures look like smaller houses. But they do resemble from the overhead view the same building(s).
Seems to have been demolished immediately after closing.
A 1981 aerial shows the entire property razed with what is now the North Freeway Business Center being built.
I’m not 100% on this, but the projection booth may still be around as well. A two-story structure sits exactly where the projection booth was located and has the familiar small windows on the second floor.
This photo is not from the Marshfield Drive-In, which was demolished by 1986. And covered in trees afterwards, leaving no room for an inflatable screen.
Demolished by 1986, the property remained empty until at least 2008.
By 2010, new building were constructed which wiped out all traces of the drive-in.
A slightly closer address is 1997 S Hwy 89/91, Logan, UT.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, the concrete frame of the screen still stands along with the outline of most of the drive-in. The property itself is heavily overgrown.
I see no practical way of re-opening it, at least with the screen as is since S 1000 W Road cuts into most of the property on the north and east sides.
A closer address is Hilltop Dr & Blume Dr, Richmond, CA.
This puts it at the intersection where the drive-in once existed on the northeast side.
Currently, the Courtyard by Marriott sits on the property, but it is no longer connected to Hilltop Drive. And with a direct address not desirable without Hilltop Drive, the intersection is as close as you can get.
I do not believe the open field on Honea Path Street was the site of the drive-in.
A 1970 aerial shows a massive textile mill, Reigel Textiles that had been in operation since 1906 in that location. It was closed in 1984 and the buildings left derelict until it was all torn down by the turn of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the earliest aerial I can access is 1975 and topo map, 1975. I see no indication of any drive-in. Although from the information that has been presented so far, it could have closed by the late 1950s and the property built over for some other purpose by 1970.
A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact and perhaps operational.
A 1976 aerial shows trees growing on the property and I cannot make out if the screen has been removed or if it is covered by the trees.
Given the number and height of the trees, I’m guessing this drive-in closed in the late 1960s.
50sSNIPES - This comment from the information MichaelKilgore found which is on the Sparta Drive-In page seems to lean towards a name change.
“How old is it? In 2013, (then-?)owner Tommy Brown told ABC News that the Sparta was built in 1943, so that’s probably it. The 1952 Theatre Catalog lists the Sparta, yet earlier Catalogs showed the Park-A-Way in Sparta but not the Sparta Drive-In. (The IMPAs listed both for a while, so it’s probably not a name change.)”
If the drive-in was built in 1943, it seems likely that it was originally called the “Park-A-Way” and then changed to the “Sparta” Drive-In at some later point, but certainly by 1952.
The IMPA listing both afterwards was more likely confusion on its part. Believing they were different drive-ins for a time. However, given that all other information (location & car capacity) is the same, this to me seems like what happened.
But if you assume the Park-A-Way was a separate drive-in, then the information MichaelKilgore reports makes little sense.
The Sparta Drive-In would’ve had to open in 1943, close in the late 1940s, and re-open again in 1952. Running for decades until appearing to close for much of the 1990s before re-opening after renovation in the early 2000s.
The Park-A-Way would’ve had to open when the Sparta Drive-In closed in the late 1940s, close by 1952. Re-open by 1959 and run until at 1976 until finally being left off in 1982 at least in IMPA.
And all that time there is no evidence of a second drive-in along the highway. So, I’m leaning towards name change.
A 1983 aerial shows the ramps and what seems to be left of the screen. By 1987, the screen was gone. The ramps and outline remained until at least 1992. By 2006, it was completely gone.
A closer address is 1380 2nd St, Upton, WY.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right next to the projection booth which appears to be intact.
As of August 2025 (Google Street View), the screen is still up. It’s not in good shape, but still up.
https://tinyurl.com/bde9p2mz
A closer address is 6918 Madison Ave, Ottumwa, IA
This puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand.
https://tinyurl.com/e72ssh6a
The screen was still standing in 2002, but gone by 2006.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The outline is still present along with faint hints of ramps, the remains of the projection booth/concession stand, some of which may still be standing (hard to tell), and the foundation of the screen.
The old entrance has been obliterated. But access to the property today is along the old exit road which also still exists.
A 1971 aerial showed the drive-in fully intact. Although I cannot say that it was operational.
By 1983, it had been fully demolished.
A 1963 aerial showed the drive-in had been demolished for some time. Most of the property sat virtually untouched for almost two decades.
Today, you can still seen hints of the ramps on the north side.
Is there more information about when this drive-in was open?
There was nothing on the property until sometime between 1973 & 1983 when the church was built. And while there is enough room behind the church for a drive-in (a small one), there is no evidence at least from aerial photos from 1983 to the present.
So, was this a temporary screen drive-in?
A closer address is 16621 State Rte B, Houston, MO.
This puts it on a house that shares the entrance/exit road to the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/39hpdx4d
Yes, it does appear that the projection booth/concession stand has survived and is in pretty good condition.
The overhead shows what’s left of the outline and ramps on the southeast portion of the property.
The drive-in at 2226 US-90 appears intact in a 1956 aerial. But the screen appears to be gone in a 1961 aerial. But it is tough to tell as some type of structure is present.
In the same 1961 aerial, the drive-in at 633 US-90 appears intact and operational. So, that might be a clue to tell the difference between them.
Both drive-ins had been demolished by 1969.
By 1984, the screen had come down.
Today, it is private property and does not appear to be a business. But there are quite a few trailers, pallets, and general stuff scattered about the property.
A house sits where the screen once stood. All traces of the ramps and outline are gone. It’s difficult to tell, but it appears the projection booth/concession stand is still present. I say “difficult to tell” because both structures look like smaller houses. But they do resemble from the overhead view the same building(s).
The marquee, old and rusted, is still in place.
Seems to have been demolished immediately after closing. A 1981 aerial shows the entire property razed with what is now the North Freeway Business Center being built.
I’m not 100% on this, but the projection booth may still be around as well. A two-story structure sits exactly where the projection booth was located and has the familiar small windows on the second floor.
This photo is not from the Marshfield Drive-In, which was demolished by 1986. And covered in trees afterwards, leaving no room for an inflatable screen.
Demolished by 1986, the property remained empty until at least 2008. By 2010, new building were constructed which wiped out all traces of the drive-in.
A slightly closer address is 1997 S Hwy 89/91, Logan, UT.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
Today, the concrete frame of the screen still stands along with the outline of most of the drive-in. The property itself is heavily overgrown.
I see no practical way of re-opening it, at least with the screen as is since S 1000 W Road cuts into most of the property on the north and east sides.
https://tinyurl.com/mrxpzch6
A closer address is Hilltop Dr & Blume Dr, Richmond, CA.
This puts it at the intersection where the drive-in once existed on the northeast side.
Currently, the Courtyard by Marriott sits on the property, but it is no longer connected to Hilltop Drive. And with a direct address not desirable without Hilltop Drive, the intersection is as close as you can get.
https://tinyurl.com/4p78jrzb
Nice article on the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/4hs8npwf
A closer address is 1207 NJ-179, Lambertville, NJ.
This puts it right on the property.
The drive-in still remained visible, although the screen appears to have been taken down, until at least 2002.
Today, the Hunterdon County Fairgrounds occupies the property with the parking area being where the drive-in once stood.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/4refvucn
Today, Mission Metals MFG occupies the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Today, the property is occupied by building owned by ACDi and Industry Ct runs through the middle of what was once the drive-in.
There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
I do not believe the open field on Honea Path Street was the site of the drive-in.
A 1970 aerial shows a massive textile mill, Reigel Textiles that had been in operation since 1906 in that location. It was closed in 1984 and the buildings left derelict until it was all torn down by the turn of the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the earliest aerial I can access is 1975 and topo map, 1975. I see no indication of any drive-in. Although from the information that has been presented so far, it could have closed by the late 1950s and the property built over for some other purpose by 1970.
A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact and perhaps operational. A 1976 aerial shows trees growing on the property and I cannot make out if the screen has been removed or if it is covered by the trees.
Given the number and height of the trees, I’m guessing this drive-in closed in the late 1960s.
50sSNIPES - This comment from the information MichaelKilgore found which is on the Sparta Drive-In page seems to lean towards a name change.
“How old is it? In 2013, (then-?)owner Tommy Brown told ABC News that the Sparta was built in 1943, so that’s probably it. The 1952 Theatre Catalog lists the Sparta, yet earlier Catalogs showed the Park-A-Way in Sparta but not the Sparta Drive-In. (The IMPAs listed both for a while, so it’s probably not a name change.)”
If the drive-in was built in 1943, it seems likely that it was originally called the “Park-A-Way” and then changed to the “Sparta” Drive-In at some later point, but certainly by 1952.
The IMPA listing both afterwards was more likely confusion on its part. Believing they were different drive-ins for a time. However, given that all other information (location & car capacity) is the same, this to me seems like what happened.
But if you assume the Park-A-Way was a separate drive-in, then the information MichaelKilgore reports makes little sense.
The Sparta Drive-In would’ve had to open in 1943, close in the late 1940s, and re-open again in 1952. Running for decades until appearing to close for much of the 1990s before re-opening after renovation in the early 2000s.
The Park-A-Way would’ve had to open when the Sparta Drive-In closed in the late 1940s, close by 1952. Re-open by 1959 and run until at 1976 until finally being left off in 1982 at least in IMPA.
And all that time there is no evidence of a second drive-in along the highway. So, I’m leaning towards name change.