A 1973 topo map shows a drive-in at the intersection of US-283 and E0200 Road, Laverne, OK.
The drive-in sat on the SW corner of the intersection. Today, General Inc. Oil Field Services occupies the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
The concession stand/projection booth appears intact in the 1966 aerial photo. It’s just that the photo itself is not nearly as sharp as the 1964 one.
Besides, if they had torn down the concession stand, there would be equipment, tracks of large trucks, and the like on the ground. Tearing up a building makes a big mess.
I can see the drive-in holding 300 cars, but not 600. Given its unusual shape, the Airport Drive-In might have been considerably larger and lost part of its property before becoming the Delta.
Plus, since the Delta took over from the Airport, it could technically still be called the “first drive-in in Greenwood”.
The ticket booth which appears in aerial photos from 1963 to 1996 disappears starting in 2004. So, it seems that the ticket booth was torn down between 1996 and 2004.
It would appear that the entrance to the drive-in was turned into South Canal Street. A 1956 aerial shows a large area next to S. Canal Street and S. Spruce Ave empty which is the probable location of the drive-in.
If the drive-in was located north of the town on a hilltop, there is a property just north of the intersection on the east side of the road that fits that description.
It is private property today, but it’s general shape and ramps (albeit somewhat large ramps) sure make it look like it once was a drive-in.
Yet there are stories that airplanes landed behind the theater. I’m not seeing how given the terrain even dating back to WWII. So, there is some information that is missing.
The address is 4905 Wendell Boulevard, Wendell, NC. The drive-in was located just to the northeast of the town on the north side of Wendell Blvd near where it connects with Old Zebulon Road.
A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact, although it is difficult to tell if it was still in operation.
Today, the area is overgrown with no trace of the drive-in remaining save for the entrance road which has been renamed “Drive In Lane”.
It says “Strawn, TX” on Google Maps when I click on the link.
But having said that, I’ve seen on more than one occasion using Google Maps that two different towns still work with the same address. The long closed 51 Drive-In can be seen in Google Maps using both Tulsa and Broken Arrow as the cities even with the same address.
So, six of one, half a dozen of the other when it comes to Google Maps.
A 1973 topo map shows the drive-in at that location next to HWY 17 on the south side of Pecos. Although the entrance road is not shown, a good guess is that it was somewhere on County Road 204 since the railroad tracks run alongside HWY 17.
Today, the Pecos RV Park occupies the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
If 1390 Gardner Drive is the correct address, then the drive-in closed long before 1982. A 1983 aerial shows the property with a decent-size business and a home with no trace of a drive-in remaining.
While it is certainly possible the area was completely transformed in less than a year, it’s far more likely that the drive-in closed several years before that.
A closer address is Co Rd 116 and Co Rd 276, Eupora, MS.
A 1960 aerial shows the drive-in intact. But a 1971 aerial shows a dirt track constructed on the southeast side of the property. It didn’t last long as by 1980 the track was gone. However, the drive-in may have still been operational.
Today, a business occupies part of the property, but you can still clearly see the outline and faint hits of the ramps remaining.
A closer address is 2703 South Liberty Street, Canton, MS.
Nothing left of the old drive-in, apart from the entrance road. It would not surprise me if this drive-in closed well before 1975. Topo maps are indeed not very trustworthy.
The Winchester Drive-In in OKC has the same offset projection booth, albeit on the other side. And the Winchester was designed that way. So, the same is possible for the Delta Drive-In.
However, that does not explain the missing screen in the 1982 aerial.
While the description says the drive-in shut down in 1989, a 1982 aerial does not show a screen at the location. Whether this was a temporary situation, if this is another drive-in, or I just cannot spot the screen I cannot say.
Today, Southside Storage occupies part of the property. You can still see most of the ramps, the foundation of the concession stand/projection booth, and the marquee which has been repurposed by Southside Storage.
Topo maps are rather notorious for being out of date. I have found several that show features long gone when compared to aerial photos at the same time.
But of course the drive-in could’ve made it to the early 1980s, but a topo map is not enough proof.
A 1973 topo map shows a drive-in at the intersection of US-283 and E0200 Road, Laverne, OK.
The drive-in sat on the SW corner of the intersection. Today, General Inc. Oil Field Services occupies the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y2grh8fr
A 1981 aerial shows the screen is gone, which was apparently still there in 1974.
Surprisingly enough, much of the property is still an open field located behind a law office.
However, there is no hint of the drive-in remaining, not even any indication of ramps.
The concession stand/projection booth appears intact in the 1966 aerial photo. It’s just that the photo itself is not nearly as sharp as the 1964 one.
Besides, if they had torn down the concession stand, there would be equipment, tracks of large trucks, and the like on the ground. Tearing up a building makes a big mess.
Another address is 4400 Lindbergh Drive, Jackson, MS. Although it does not seem to be any closer on Google Maps.
The only remnants of the drive-in are the entrance and exit roads. Access to a cell tower on the property is through the exit road.
I can see the drive-in holding 300 cars, but not 600. Given its unusual shape, the Airport Drive-In might have been considerably larger and lost part of its property before becoming the Delta.
Plus, since the Delta took over from the Airport, it could technically still be called the “first drive-in in Greenwood”.
Could it have re-opened as the Delta Drive-In?
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/62354
The ticket booth which appears in aerial photos from 1963 to 1996 disappears starting in 2004. So, it seems that the ticket booth was torn down between 1996 and 2004.
Found It!
The address is 1054 Patton Creek Rd, Waynesboro, MS.
The drive-in was located south of Waynesboro and appears intact and operational in a 1960 aerial photo.
By 1980, the drive-in was demolished. Today, a business sits on the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y6up2oub
A closer address is 5335 C'Board Way, Thomson, GA.
The drive-in appears intact and operational in a 1955 aerial. But by 1971 the drive-in had been demolished.
Today, the drive-in is mostly an empty field with some areas overgrown with trees. However, you can just barely make out some of the ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/y78rs5xl
It would appear that the entrance to the drive-in was turned into South Canal Street. A 1956 aerial shows a large area next to S. Canal Street and S. Spruce Ave empty which is the probable location of the drive-in.
I think I’ve found it.
TX-175 and Veretto Road, Montague, TX
If the drive-in was located north of the town on a hilltop, there is a property just north of the intersection on the east side of the road that fits that description.
It is private property today, but it’s general shape and ramps (albeit somewhat large ramps) sure make it look like it once was a drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/y8oc3ujx
A significant part of the drive-in is still an open field, including where the screen once stood. However, it is all gone.
Yet there are stories that airplanes landed behind the theater. I’m not seeing how given the terrain even dating back to WWII. So, there is some information that is missing.
Found It!
The address is 4905 Wendell Boulevard, Wendell, NC. The drive-in was located just to the northeast of the town on the north side of Wendell Blvd near where it connects with Old Zebulon Road.
A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact, although it is difficult to tell if it was still in operation.
Today, the area is overgrown with no trace of the drive-in remaining save for the entrance road which has been renamed “Drive In Lane”.
https://tinyurl.com/yakh4l6z
It says “Strawn, TX” on Google Maps when I click on the link.
But having said that, I’ve seen on more than one occasion using Google Maps that two different towns still work with the same address. The long closed 51 Drive-In can be seen in Google Maps using both Tulsa and Broken Arrow as the cities even with the same address.
So, six of one, half a dozen of the other when it comes to Google Maps.
A closer address is 2195 MS-16, Carthage, MS.
This is across the street from the drive-in which sat on the south side of the road.
Today, the property is overgrown, but you can still make out the ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/ybjbubkq
Found It!
The address is 7 County Road 204, Pecos, TX.
A 1973 topo map shows the drive-in at that location next to HWY 17 on the south side of Pecos. Although the entrance road is not shown, a good guess is that it was somewhere on County Road 204 since the railroad tracks run alongside HWY 17.
Today, the Pecos RV Park occupies the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yaaezolv
If 1390 Gardner Drive is the correct address, then the drive-in closed long before 1982. A 1983 aerial shows the property with a decent-size business and a home with no trace of a drive-in remaining.
While it is certainly possible the area was completely transformed in less than a year, it’s far more likely that the drive-in closed several years before that.
A closer address is Co Rd 116 and Co Rd 276, Eupora, MS.
A 1960 aerial shows the drive-in intact. But a 1971 aerial shows a dirt track constructed on the southeast side of the property. It didn’t last long as by 1980 the track was gone. However, the drive-in may have still been operational.
Today, a business occupies part of the property, but you can still clearly see the outline and faint hits of the ramps remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yc6oshtc
A closer address is US-51 & Gum Branch Rd, Winona, MS. The drive-in sat on the northwest corner of the intersection.
A 1960 & 1964 aerial photo shows the drive-in intact, but by 1980 it had been demolished.
Today, the property is an empty field with traces of the outline, ramps, and foundation of the concession stand/projection booth remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/ybftwq4b
A closer address is 2703 South Liberty Street, Canton, MS.
Nothing left of the old drive-in, apart from the entrance road. It would not surprise me if this drive-in closed well before 1975. Topo maps are indeed not very trustworthy.
The Winchester Drive-In in OKC has the same offset projection booth, albeit on the other side. And the Winchester was designed that way. So, the same is possible for the Delta Drive-In.
However, that does not explain the missing screen in the 1982 aerial.
A closer address is 2709 US-49E, Greenwood, MS.
While the description says the drive-in shut down in 1989, a 1982 aerial does not show a screen at the location. Whether this was a temporary situation, if this is another drive-in, or I just cannot spot the screen I cannot say.
Today, Southside Storage occupies part of the property. You can still see most of the ramps, the foundation of the concession stand/projection booth, and the marquee which has been repurposed by Southside Storage.
https://tinyurl.com/ya8dom2h
Topo maps are rather notorious for being out of date. I have found several that show features long gone when compared to aerial photos at the same time.
But of course the drive-in could’ve made it to the early 1980s, but a topo map is not enough proof.