Lake Park Drive-In
5606 2nd Avenue West,
Williston,
ND
58801
5606 2nd Avenue West,
Williston,
ND
58801
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The Lake Park Drive-In was a single screen drive-in with a capacity for 450 cars. It was opened on September 12, 1952 with Dale Robertson in “Lydia Bailey”. This was the only operating drive-in in North Dakota when it closed in 2012. It was soon demolished.
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Lost Memory
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The Lake Park closed last year and just in the past few weeks was taken down. Here is the webpage reporting it from the Bismarck Tribune: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/old-north-dakota-oil-patch-drive-in-in-torn-down/article_71380504-fbfe-11e2-8f1f-001a4bcf887a.html
A closer address (at least for Google) is 5606 2nd Avenue West, Williston, ND. There is nothing left save for the outline and the ramps. http://tinyurl.com/gqf4jzy
I dated the owners daughter , she took me here on first date ! Such special memories Mike Dowen
When did this drive-in open?
Anybody got the final night of operation in 2012?
A gas station on the north side has expanded to take up part of the property. The rest has been razed leaving behind no trace that a drive-in ever existed.
Sometime in the 1950’s, the screen was damaged by a tornado. The movie advertised on the marquee that night was “Gone with the wind”.
Signs that point to a late 1952 opening for the Lake Park:
The Exhibitor, Sept. 17, 1952: “Ralph Pielow’s Quad States Theatre Service will handle the buying and booking for the new Lake Park Drive-In, Williston, N. D., owned by John Snyder and son. Pielow also handles the buying and booking for Snyder’s two conventional houses in Williston.”
Boxoffice, Oct. 25, 1952: “Williston, N. D. - Construction is progressing rapidly on the new 492-car Lake Park Drive-In, by the Snyder Theatre Co.”
Boxoffice, Jan. 10, 1953: (in a list of drive-ins opened in 1952) “Williston, Lake Park, 500 cars, Snyder Theatre Co.”
Opened Sept. 12, 1952 with “Lydia Bailey.” It closed on September 4, 2011 with Jason Momoa as “Conan, The Barbarian.” The Lake Park was demolished at the end of its second 30-year leasing term on July 31, 2012.
The land is now for sale. The only remnant is a small part of the entrance road.