Hillside Drive-In
5210 Marlboro Pike,
Capitol Heights,
MD
20743
4 people favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Sidney B. Lust Theaters, Wineland Theatres
Architects: Ted Rogvoy
Nearby Theaters
The Hillside Drive-In opened August 24, 1953 with Ava Gardner in “Ride Vaquero”. It had a capacity for 720 cars. It also had 250 outdoor seats for walk in customers. It was operated by Sydney B. Lust Theatres and was taken over by Wineland Theaters in 1956. A large outdoor stage was constructed at the base of the screen tower, and beneath the stage were several dressing rooms. This drive-in closed in November 1988 and was demolished in 1993.
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Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
Here’s a 1957 aerial of the Hillside.
You have to see this page. Contains some great old photos, plus there’s a short documentary film about the Hillside and a first-person account from a guy whose dad used to manage the snackbar and thus spent much of his childhood there.
http://www.driveins.org/md-coralhills-hillside.htm
August 23rd, 1953 grand opening ad in photo section.
Uploaded flyer for the DI from 1961. Wineland Theatres was the operators.
Demolished in 1993. Site is now a baseball field owned by the nearby Oakcrest Community Center.
The April 3, 1954 issue of Boxoffice ran a two-page story on the Hillside with several photos. “Travelers on the heavily-trafficked highway cannot fail to be impressed by the huge screen tower with an animated name sign. The tower is further enhanced by giant theatre masks representing laughter and sadness.”