The property is now an open field. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining except for the remnants of the entrance road on the south side of the property.
Based on the aerial photos, the address is further north up the road.
The entrance was located approximately at 3330 US-29, Valley, AL.
This lines up close to the entrance of Advance Auto Parts. Most of the drive-in is occupied by an large, empty building that is for sale. Although this building is indicated on the Google map to be Valley Baptist Church.
All that is left of the old drive-in are some of the trees that lined the back fence which is now behind Renasant Bank.
For being 17 acres and holding up to 200 cars, that’s a substantial piece of property. I do not believe the small rectangular cutout is large enough to hold 50 cars, much less 200.
A possible location is further west on HWY 129 just past Boyette Road where in 1967 it was an auto salvage yard. It was abandoned by 1971 and today is a residential area. It has the size and general shape to qualify. Plus, drive-ins becoming auto salvage yards is common enough, especially well outside of town.
The remnants of the drive-in remained until at least 2010, but by 2013 a detention center had been constructed on the property. There are no traces of the drive-in remaining.
We are going to have to disagree, Dansdriveintheater.
The current Google overhead view shows no evidence of ramps, only some vestige crop marks that do not line up with the ramps seen in previous aerial photos. What does appear falls considerably short and somewhat out of alignment.
So, it’s clearly been plowed up and resurfaced, much like the site of the Hillcrest Drive-In in OKC.
The ramps are still there, at least in the latest overhead view from Google Maps. But the screen is gone, either removed or it just disintegrated given how poor a condition it was in.
Kennerado, I agree. I suggest the address of Louisiana 1148 & Union Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, as that at least touches the property, even if its away from what was the entrance. The current access road to the property is now on Union Street.
From its appearance in the 1962 aerial, it looks like it had been demolished several years earlier. You can see the substantial growth of trees on the property. So, it doesn’t look like it lasted past 1956.
88 Pinnacle Avenue is the current location of the Pinnacle Drive-In which is a small eating establishment. A 1967 aerial photo shows buildings on that location as well, so I do not believe there was a drive-in theater there.
The drive-in should be on the aerial photo, but I have not found it. That only means that I cannot see it, but given the location it must have been a small drive-in.
A 1981 aerial shows the drive-in demolished. The land sat unused for about two decades when N Grove Street was put in to the north of the drive-in location.
Today, the property is part of the Dr. Glen Dev Park. In a 2017 aerial, you can even see the faint hint of ramps, although it does not appear in the latest Google aerial view.
I can find no indication of a drive-in with a 1962 aerial. So, it’s either really far away from the town or had a very short run and was totally demolished and replaced to make it unrecognizable as a drive-in.
A new projection booth/concession stand would have to be built along with installing new electrical services. Otherwise, some landscaping is needed along with screen maintenance if someone wanted to reopen it.
I’m not seeing how this can be re-opened since the entrance road is now a driveway for a home that sits on the north side. It would take some major renovation, including a new screen and widening the existing access, to reopen this drive-in.
A drive-in with a 300 car capacity seems awfully large for small towns and hilly countryside, let alone 450+.
A 1963 topo map reveals nothing and neither does a 1968 aerial photo. If it did exist, it is either quite far away from Garberville or it was demolished immediately so that the area was unrecognizable as a drive-in. Or perhaps we have the wrong Garberville.
In any case, some more info to at least narrow down its location would be nice.
Actually, almost all of the drive-in is gone. You can only see a faint outline of the drive-in behind the Country Inn & Suites.
The lines just to the west that reach to 31st Street SE are from an auto salvage yard that was built on the property after the drive-in had closed. The salvage yard is closed and the building demolished.
Either the bridge will have to be fixed or an access road cut behind the bridge. Coming from the other direction would create a substantial mess.
Unless they cut a deal with the VFW to allow access through their parking area. It would help with the overflow of traffic, but the VFW would have to be convinced to do it.
The property is now an open field. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining except for the remnants of the entrance road on the south side of the property.
Based on the aerial photos, the address is further north up the road.
The entrance was located approximately at 3330 US-29, Valley, AL.
This lines up close to the entrance of Advance Auto Parts. Most of the drive-in is occupied by an large, empty building that is for sale. Although this building is indicated on the Google map to be Valley Baptist Church.
All that is left of the old drive-in are some of the trees that lined the back fence which is now behind Renasant Bank.
https://tinyurl.com/sehuacc3
For being 17 acres and holding up to 200 cars, that’s a substantial piece of property. I do not believe the small rectangular cutout is large enough to hold 50 cars, much less 200.
A possible location is further west on HWY 129 just past Boyette Road where in 1967 it was an auto salvage yard. It was abandoned by 1971 and today is a residential area. It has the size and general shape to qualify. Plus, drive-ins becoming auto salvage yards is common enough, especially well outside of town.
It appears this drive-in closed a long time ago, possibly in the 1960s Since it appears on a 1959 topo map, but is gone by 1972.
It also has changed little since its demolition as a 1981 aerial photo shows it in about the same condition as today, forty years later.
The remnants of the drive-in remained until at least 2010, but by 2013 a detention center had been constructed on the property. There are no traces of the drive-in remaining.
A 1991 aerial shows the remnants of the drive-in. It appears to be quite large.
The drive-in sat further east near Monkey Junction. The address is 5309 Carolina Beach Rd Ste 4, Wilmington, NC.
The drive-in was operational in a 1956 aerial photo. But the 1969 aerial photo shows it was demolished. The land remained empty until at least 1983.
Today, a Dollar Tree and Lowe’s Foods of Carolina Beach sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/c8sved49
From the aerial photographs, it went from a drive-in in 2004 to Price Chopper in 2005.
We are going to have to disagree, Dansdriveintheater.
The current Google overhead view shows no evidence of ramps, only some vestige crop marks that do not line up with the ramps seen in previous aerial photos. What does appear falls considerably short and somewhat out of alignment.
So, it’s clearly been plowed up and resurfaced, much like the site of the Hillcrest Drive-In in OKC.
The ramps are still there, at least in the latest overhead view from Google Maps. But the screen is gone, either removed or it just disintegrated given how poor a condition it was in.
Sometime between 1983 and 1995 a building went up in the middle of what was left of the drive-in which wiped out most traces.
Today, a Google overhead view shows nothing left.
A 2005 aerial photo shows the Sagewood Apartments in place, so it appears the demolition took place at least a few years before that, probably more.
The only trace of the drive-in remaining is the entrance road on the south side.
Kennerado, I agree. I suggest the address of Louisiana 1148 & Union Street, Plaquemine, Louisiana, as that at least touches the property, even if its away from what was the entrance. The current access road to the property is now on Union Street.
From its appearance in the 1962 aerial, it looks like it had been demolished several years earlier. You can see the substantial growth of trees on the property. So, it doesn’t look like it lasted past 1956.
The address may not be correct.
88 Pinnacle Avenue is the current location of the Pinnacle Drive-In which is a small eating establishment. A 1967 aerial photo shows buildings on that location as well, so I do not believe there was a drive-in theater there.
The drive-in should be on the aerial photo, but I have not found it. That only means that I cannot see it, but given the location it must have been a small drive-in.
A 1981 aerial shows the drive-in demolished. The land sat unused for about two decades when N Grove Street was put in to the north of the drive-in location.
Today, the property is part of the Dr. Glen Dev Park. In a 2017 aerial, you can even see the faint hint of ramps, although it does not appear in the latest Google aerial view.
A closer address is E 1090 Rd & Old Hwy 69, Checotah, OK. The address currently listed has E 1900 which is not correct.
I can find no indication of a drive-in with a 1962 aerial. So, it’s either really far away from the town or had a very short run and was totally demolished and replaced to make it unrecognizable as a drive-in.
Or, I just can’t see it. Probably the latter… ;)
A closer address is 2061 US-51, Fulton, KY.
This address lines up with the entrance to the cemetery which appears to be the entrance to the old drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/3v28szwa
A new projection booth/concession stand would have to be built along with installing new electrical services. Otherwise, some landscaping is needed along with screen maintenance if someone wanted to reopen it.
I’m not seeing how this can be re-opened since the entrance road is now a driveway for a home that sits on the north side. It would take some major renovation, including a new screen and widening the existing access, to reopen this drive-in.
Something is happening to the property as a February 2020 Google Street View shows considerable clearing going on.
Google maps show the drive-in has been demolished and replaced with a housing edition.
The only reminder is the main street is named “Airline Drive”.
A drive-in with a 300 car capacity seems awfully large for small towns and hilly countryside, let alone 450+.
A 1963 topo map reveals nothing and neither does a 1968 aerial photo. If it did exist, it is either quite far away from Garberville or it was demolished immediately so that the area was unrecognizable as a drive-in. Or perhaps we have the wrong Garberville.
In any case, some more info to at least narrow down its location would be nice.
Actually, almost all of the drive-in is gone. You can only see a faint outline of the drive-in behind the Country Inn & Suites.
The lines just to the west that reach to 31st Street SE are from an auto salvage yard that was built on the property after the drive-in had closed. The salvage yard is closed and the building demolished.
Either the bridge will have to be fixed or an access road cut behind the bridge. Coming from the other direction would create a substantial mess.
Unless they cut a deal with the VFW to allow access through their parking area. It would help with the overflow of traffic, but the VFW would have to be convinced to do it.