July 12, 1974 image shows the close proximity of the El Rancho drive-in (lower left) to the Spartan drive-in (upper right). Only 6 blocks separated them on Alma Street.
Image from July 12,1974 shows the close proximity of the Spartan drive-in movie (upper right) to the El Rancho drive-in (lower left), both on Alma within 6 blocks of each other.
San Jose’s first drive-in movie; 1948 the San Jose Auto Movie, they hadn’t invented the term “drive-in” yet! Image taken by the US Geological Survey on September 27, 1948.
The images I’m posting are original 9"X 9" aerial photo contact prints in the USGS Library Aerial Photo Print Collection (the largest in the world!) in Menlo Park, California, that I’ve scanned at 2400 dpi. You can access my high res scans of over 240 images of sites in and around San Jose by emailing me your email address to
February 22, 1981, the Capitol 6 drive-in is 10 years old having opened in 1971. Shortly after that they added two screens, just before the 1974 image was taken.
Right after they added the last two screens.
July 12, 1974 image shows the close proximity of the El Rancho drive-in (lower left) to the Spartan drive-in (upper right). Only 6 blocks separated them on Alma Street.
El Rancho drive-in theater, May 16, 1965.
Image from July 12,1974 shows the close proximity of the Spartan drive-in movie (upper right) to the El Rancho drive-in (lower left), both on Alma within 6 blocks of each other.
Spartan Drive-in theater, May 17, 1965.
May 17, 1965 the San Jose Auto Movie. Note how close the projection booth is to the screen!
San Jose’s first drive-in movie; 1948 the San Jose Auto Movie, they hadn’t invented the term “drive-in” yet! Image taken by the US Geological Survey on September 27, 1948.
The images I’m posting are original 9"X 9" aerial photo contact prints in the USGS Library Aerial Photo Print Collection (the largest in the world!) in Menlo Park, California, that I’ve scanned at 2400 dpi. You can access my high res scans of over 240 images of sites in and around San Jose by emailing me your email address to
February 22, 1981, the Capitol 6 drive-in is 10 years old having opened in 1971. Shortly after that they added two screens, just before the 1974 image was taken.
Capitol Drive-in theater July 12, 1974, only 3 years old they’ve added two addition screens.
May 16, 1965, the Fair Oaks Drive In theater in Sunnyvale, California. At Fair Oaks and Highway 101.