Skyline Drive-In
182 SE Brewer Road,
Shelton,
WA
98584
182 SE Brewer Road,
Shelton,
WA
98584
3 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 34 comments
Confirming gregsalo’s note with a few bonus names.
Boxoffice, July 6, 1964: “Shelton, Wash. - Mason County’s first drive-in theatre was opened recently five miles south of town on the Olympia highway. The 354-car airer, built on a 16-acre tract, is a project of Fred Thibodeau and Fred Henry, who are painters by day in the Bremerton Navy shipyard and exhibitors at night and on weekends, operating several theatres.”
The photo of Ken Layton (?) with the projector lens that is displayed as the photo for the Skyline has an incorrect caption.
INCORRECT: “The Skyline Drive-In opened in 1962. This single screen drive-in has a capacity for 330 cars.”
CORRECT: The Olympian newspaper of May 28, 1964, noted that the drive-in opened with “Lady and the Tramp” in 1964. Not 1962.
The “Skyline” neon sign was taken down two weeks ago. It is being restored by the crew at Shelton Neon and will be re-installed at the theater in the coming weeks. More details here: https://www.facebook.com/Shelton-Neon-Project-214330945293135/
KCPQ-TV channel 13 just did a feature story about the Skyline on the 10 o'clock evening news today.
Now re-opening for the season today under Governor Jay Inslee’s “Phase 2” coronavirus guidelines.
Opening for this season is delayed due to coronavirus. They think they will open in late April.
I drove past the Skyline a couple of days ago and the totem pole is now gone. :(
On the post “Drive-In Theatre Preservation Society on September 1, 2015 at 6:50 pm”, they need to update their URL.
The current one (as of 3/15/2019) is https://www.thedriveinguys.com/.
KEN LAYTON — Please email me, sir! Thanks, brother! DriveInGuys.com is back online — I want to upload your interview, and more!
The same story also appeared in the March 23, 2014 edition of The Olympian newspaper in Olympia, Washington.
Today the Tacoma News Tribune ran a story about the Skyline’s 50th season here
Today the Tacoma News Tribune ran a story about the Skyline’s 50th season:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/03/23/3133444/sheltons-skyline-drive-in-theater.html?sp=/99/289/&ihp=1
On Friday March 28, 2014, a power transformer at the theater blew up about 7:00 PM. It knocked the power out not only for the theater, but also for 1400 other customers of P.U.D. # 3. They finally got the power back on at 2:30 in the morning. So unfortunately the theater was unable to open that night due to the lack of power.
Skyline Drive-In is far superior to the Rodeo Drive-In.
SteveSwanson, if you look at the smaller details, did you notice the boarded-up, broken down concession stand at the Rodeo?
Or the fact that they have a far smaller selection of food compared to all other Drive-Ins on the West Coast?
The Rodeo is the only one with more than 1 screen in WA (they have 3) which is a plus, but the employees at the Skyline Drive-In are far more professional and courteous than the Rodeo (and the BlueFox).
I’ve been to all of the remaining 4 Drive-Ins in Western Washington this last year (2013), and Skyline Drive-In is definitely the best.
After the Valley 6 closed in Auburn, I thought I would make more visits to the Skyline. However, after my last trip on Labor Day weekend, I remain convinced that the Rodeo (which is about an hour’s drive north) is the best drive-in left in Washington.
What I liked about the Skyline: 2 lines at the box office, with the left lane being cash only, remodeled bathrooms (and they had the space to do it) the digital projector is a big improvement. They also have an Annual Rocky Horror night and other retro films.
The dislikes: it might have been that night only, but the line in the snack bar was super long. They only have one popper and its too small for that kind of crowd, plus it went down that night. I tend to notice more of the smaller details that makes a drive-in unique. Seeing the totem pole out front decay, peeling paint on the snack bar, the glo-tops getting fried when they added the FM transmitter.
I am glad they are still open, and managed to transition from film to digital. But I’ve seen better operations on the West Coast.
Damage to the video projector, telephones, and internet have all been repaired.
Telephone lines at the theater are also damaged from the lightning strike. Phone lines are down right now.
Evidently the electrical storm did damage the new video projector and all shows are cancelled until further notice.
Lightning struck the power pole feeding the theater today 9-6-2013 knocking out power to the theater and cancelling all shows.
@Mike Rogers, That comment that it seems you are referring to was written in 2005, the “NEW OWNERS” did not take over until 2006. @wcmanker : the entire theatre has been re done since your last visit. there are new bathrooms, the snack bar has been re modeled, we have a whole new crew (only one crew member remains that was there in 2005 and that is me)we even got a new projector and sound system last week. we now have great sound, great picture and a super friendly crew. still do not allow outside food or drink but they simply make you toss it if they see it, you would not get kicked out of the theatre. hope you give the theatre another chance. :D
Officially converted to video projection today August 6, 2013.
Steve Swanson, Arthur Allen, the late Carl Cook, and myself have all photographed this theater over the years.
Some of the fire damage has been repaired and the theater has re-opened.
A fire today 5-30-2012 has damaged the kitchen and lobby of the theater. The Skyline is temporarily closed until the damage can be repaired.
Terraserver aerial picture:
http://www.terraserver.com/view.asp?cx=-123.09465890000001&cy=47.1452942&proj=4326&mpp=0.75&pic=-1&prov=-1&stac=-1&sdrt=jax