I did find the remnants of a drive-in south of Matador on TX-70. It was fully intact and appears to be open in a 1966 aerial. However, by 1996 it was totally demolished. I could not establish an address anywhere close on Google Maps.
It certainly has the size to hold 200 cars. However, there was no structure on the site large enough to hold 500 people.
So, either this is a different drive-in or the indoor and outdoor theaters were separate.
A slightly closer address is 1180 E Dallas Rd, Grapevine, TX. This marks the spot where the old entrance road once connected on the south side of Dallas Road.
You can see the drive-in still intact in a 1970 aerial, but by 1979 it was totally demolished.
The property changed significantly as well. The old entrance is now long gone and several businesses now occupy the area. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
A closer address is 2181 US-183, Gonzales, TX 78629.
The address puts it right on the property about where the entrance road use to be.
Today, there is virtually nothing left of the drive-in. However, on the east side of the property you can just make out a hint of the final few ramps in the back.
The address is 4413 TX-359, Laredo, Texas. A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact.
Today, several businesses occupy the property. The entrance/exit road is now Abigail Dominguez Court. Otherwise, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
Or, topo maps are notorious for not including everything. I don’t know how many times a topo map has either not shown a drive-in when it was there or shown it when the drive-in was long gone.
Bottom line, a topo map is simply not enough to go on by itself.
999 North Main Street, Cotulla, TX puts it virtually right on the remains of the drive-in.
The caption speaks for itself. The drive-in was built “near” Clute, but was never in Clute, TX.
As was common with many drive-ins, they were built outside the city limits. Today, the Surf Drive-In is defined as part of Freeport, TX as per Google Maps.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 5101 E Saunders St, Laredo, TX.
The drive-in sat on the south side of HWY 59. Today, the property holds a couple of businesses and a housing edition with no trace of the drive-in remaining. One of the residential roads is named Fiesta Loop.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 745 W 13th Ave
Zapata, TX.
The drive-in sat to the SW of Junior’s Drive-Inn and today is an open field across from the football stadium. You can just barely see the outline and the entrance road still exists.
According to the City of Clute map, the border sits just to the north of where the Surf Drive-In was located. You can see the cloverleaf of where TX-332 and State HWY 228 meet and Clute ends on the north side. The drive-in was on the south side.
As per Google Maps, the drive-in was located at Crescent Heights, Freeport, TX.
https://tinyurl.com/y5wk3gv6
Crescent Heights runs for about a ½ mile and surrounds where the Surf Drive-In was located. You can still see the faint hint of the outline, ramps, entrance, and exit roads.
The closest address I could get on Google Maps is W Front Ave and County Line Rd S, Electra, TX.
The drive-in sat about a quarter-mile east of the intersection on the north side of W Front Ave. There is basically nothing left except the concession stand which is in terrible shape.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 3300 US-84, Coleman, TX 76834.
This marks the location of Coleman County Electric Cooperative which occupies about half of where the drive-in once stood. To the east of the building, you can still see the ramps.
The “second drive-in” that dansdriveintheater mentions appears to be the Robstown Drive-In
The location is an auto salvage yard just to the west of Acme Ready Mix, which is at 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX 78380. I could not find an exact address on Google Maps.
This second drive-in is along the old TX-44. It appears virtually brand new in a 1951 aerial and a 1956 topo map while the drive-in at 1309 Ruben Chavez Road does not. So that one appears to have been built considerably later.
If the historic information listed is correct, then the 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX location is the correct one.
http://tinyurl.com/y3jevb9a
So, please change the address to 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX.
A possible location is 118 N Vaello Ave, Hebbronville, TX.
A 1967 aerial photo shows an intact and possibly active drive-in at this location. Today, the property is occupied by a business with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
http://tinyurl.com/y2hh663e
Another possible location is 816 S Cedar Ave, Hebbronville, TX.
The same 1967 aerial photo shows a demolished drive-in at this location. Today, the property is still empty and you can barely see the ramps and outline. The entrance road is rather suspect, so I’m going with the closest location in terms of the address.
http://tinyurl.com/yyccswue
If someone can determine which drive-in was closed and demolished by 1967 or if other information surfaces, then it should be possible to identify the exact location of the Pioneer Drive-In and Tito’s Drive-In.
A Google Maps street view from August, 2018 shows the concession stand/projector booth has been torn down.
I did find the remnants of a drive-in south of Matador on TX-70. It was fully intact and appears to be open in a 1966 aerial. However, by 1996 it was totally demolished. I could not establish an address anywhere close on Google Maps.
It certainly has the size to hold 200 cars. However, there was no structure on the site large enough to hold 500 people.
So, either this is a different drive-in or the indoor and outdoor theaters were separate.
The area that dansdriveintheater depicts does not show any evidence that a drive-in existed in that location.
A 1964 aerial, which was during the time the drive-in was in operation, shows only a house and a field.
A 1964 aerial shows no evidence of a drive-in west of Schulenburg that I can find.
There was a drive-in just east of Shulenburg at 1010 FM1579.
You can still see the faint hint of the outline and ramps today. I’m not saying that this is the Midway Drive-In, but I was able to find this one.
https://tinyurl.com/yyfzok2y
Found It!
The drive-in was located at 110 American Legion Rd, Smithville, TX.
Today, All Faith Funeral & Cremation Service sits at the entrance to the property. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y2pv5by6
Found It!
The address is 2908 U.S. 90, Hondo, TX.
You can still see the ramps in the back.
https://tinyurl.com/y3kcme73
A slightly closer address is 1180 E Dallas Rd, Grapevine, TX. This marks the spot where the old entrance road once connected on the south side of Dallas Road.
You can see the drive-in still intact in a 1970 aerial, but by 1979 it was totally demolished.
The property changed significantly as well. The old entrance is now long gone and several businesses now occupy the area. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y4dfhqeo
I believe I found it.
The address is 1917 North 1st Street, Haskell, TX.
A 1965 aerial shows a faint outline of a drive-in, so if this was it, the drive-in was totally demolished by that time.
Today, you can still barely see a faint outline of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/yyugabqj
A closer address is 2181 US-183, Gonzales, TX 78629.
The address puts it right on the property about where the entrance road use to be.
Today, there is virtually nothing left of the drive-in. However, on the east side of the property you can just make out a hint of the final few ramps in the back.
https://tinyurl.com/y2hoglxy
Found It!
The address is 4413 TX-359, Laredo, Texas. A 1964 aerial shows the drive-in intact.
Today, several businesses occupy the property. The entrance/exit road is now Abigail Dominguez Court. Otherwise, there is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yygmn7pj
Or, topo maps are notorious for not including everything. I don’t know how many times a topo map has either not shown a drive-in when it was there or shown it when the drive-in was long gone.
Bottom line, a topo map is simply not enough to go on by itself.
999 North Main Street, Cotulla, TX puts it virtually right on the remains of the drive-in.
https://tinyurl.com/y6es25h9
The address provided by jwmovies is too far to the west. Google Maps is often not good with exact addresses in rural areas.
A more accurate address is MO-5 and Lily Rd, Marceline, MO.
The drive-in sat on the SE corner of the intersection. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/y5vmc97r
The caption speaks for itself. The drive-in was built “near” Clute, but was never in Clute, TX.
As was common with many drive-ins, they were built outside the city limits. Today, the Surf Drive-In is defined as part of Freeport, TX as per Google Maps.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 5101 E Saunders St, Laredo, TX.
The drive-in sat on the south side of HWY 59. Today, the property holds a couple of businesses and a housing edition with no trace of the drive-in remaining. One of the residential roads is named Fiesta Loop.
https://tinyurl.com/y5c8gap5
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 745 W 13th Ave Zapata, TX.
The drive-in sat to the SW of Junior’s Drive-Inn and today is an open field across from the football stadium. You can just barely see the outline and the entrance road still exists.
https://tinyurl.com/y4anu78v
According to the City of Clute map, the border sits just to the north of where the Surf Drive-In was located. You can see the cloverleaf of where TX-332 and State HWY 228 meet and Clute ends on the north side. The drive-in was on the south side.
http://www.ci.clute.tx.us/pages/uploads/Ward%20Districts%202016.pdf
As per Google Maps, the drive-in was located at Crescent Heights, Freeport, TX.
https://tinyurl.com/y5wk3gv6
Crescent Heights runs for about a ½ mile and surrounds where the Surf Drive-In was located. You can still see the faint hint of the outline, ramps, entrance, and exit roads.
Found It.
The closest address I could get on Google Maps is W Front Ave and County Line Rd S, Electra, TX.
The drive-in sat about a quarter-mile east of the intersection on the north side of W Front Ave. There is basically nothing left except the concession stand which is in terrible shape.
https://tinyurl.com/y6ayac6k
Found It.
I could not get an exact address on Google Maps, but the nearest intersection is US-190 and Ranch Rd 2596, Eldorado, TX.
The drive-in was located about a quarter-mile east of the intersection on the south side of the highway.
https://tinyurl.com/y4m66tbj
You can still see the faint hint of ramps between the motel and the VFW parking lot.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps, is 3300 US-84, Coleman, TX 76834.
This marks the location of Coleman County Electric Cooperative which occupies about half of where the drive-in once stood. To the east of the building, you can still see the ramps.
https://tinyurl.com/yxr5mle8
US-66 is no longer recognized as an official highway.
However, Route or Rte 66 is recognized, so the address should be 438356 Rte 66, Vinita, OK.
US-69 also works for this address as well.
A closer address, at least for Google Maps is 2237 S Reynolds St, Alice, Texas.
Today, a couple of businesses occupy the property with no trace of the drive-in remaining.
http://tinyurl.com/yxwwgkch
This is a photo of the Buckhorn Drive-In, which was located on the east side of the town.
The “second drive-in” that dansdriveintheater mentions appears to be the Robstown Drive-In
The location is an auto salvage yard just to the west of Acme Ready Mix, which is at 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX 78380. I could not find an exact address on Google Maps.
This second drive-in is along the old TX-44. It appears virtually brand new in a 1951 aerial and a 1956 topo map while the drive-in at 1309 Ruben Chavez Road does not. So that one appears to have been built considerably later.
If the historic information listed is correct, then the 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX location is the correct one.
http://tinyurl.com/y3jevb9a
So, please change the address to 3291 TX-44, Robstown, TX.
Thanks
A possible location is 118 N Vaello Ave, Hebbronville, TX.
A 1967 aerial photo shows an intact and possibly active drive-in at this location. Today, the property is occupied by a business with no trace of the drive-in remaining. http://tinyurl.com/y2hh663e
Another possible location is 816 S Cedar Ave, Hebbronville, TX.
The same 1967 aerial photo shows a demolished drive-in at this location. Today, the property is still empty and you can barely see the ramps and outline. The entrance road is rather suspect, so I’m going with the closest location in terms of the address.
http://tinyurl.com/yyccswue
If someone can determine which drive-in was closed and demolished by 1967 or if other information surfaces, then it should be possible to identify the exact location of the Pioneer Drive-In and Tito’s Drive-In.