28th Street Drive-In

4990 28th Street N,
St. Petersburg, FL 33714

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on December 7, 2022 at 10:15 am

Demolished in 2003.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on August 16, 2021 at 8:34 pm

The 28th Street opened on Dec. 5, 1950 with “Colt .45” starring Zachary Scot. The Tampa Bay Times said it held 750 cars and was owned by P. J. Sones and S. T. Wilson. Landscaping included palms and tropical shrubbery.

28th Street Drive-In grand opening ad28th Street Drive-In grand opening ad 05 Dec 1950, Tue Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) Newspapers.com

The 28th Street’s final night was June 30, 2000, showing “Mission Impossible 2” followed by “Rules of Engagement.” The Pinellas County School District bought the 14.5 acres for $1.52 million.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on October 21, 2018 at 7:56 am

Opened with “Glass menagarie” Demolished in 2000. Site is Lealman Intermediate School.

HDEngineer
HDEngineer on February 3, 2017 at 11:46 am

I worked concessions at this drive in one summer (maybe 1965). The soft drink folks would come out and set the mix ratio (5-1) between the syrup and the soda water. As soon as they left, the manager would come in and crank the screws down to about 10-1. We made “pizza” by taking the crust and spreading 1 tablespoon of sauce across the crust. One day, I chastised the mgr. for wasting sauce. I showed her that if you rubbed two crusts together you could do two pizzas with only one tablespoon of sauce. She adopted the idea immediately !!

jimmyj
jimmyj on December 14, 2013 at 7:13 am

In High School the “28th Street Drive In” was known as “The Passion Pit”

patijo
patijo on July 13, 2013 at 7:42 am

My Baby was the one in the swing LOL

P. K. "Budd" Ballard
P. K. "Budd" Ballard on January 18, 2012 at 11:05 am

I was the projectionist there for many years and own one of the RCA ( Brenkert ) projection heads. I also have many pictures including the projection booth both with two projectors and arc lamps and with one projector and platter.

FloridaDriveIns
FloridaDriveIns on January 1, 2012 at 8:09 am

Video from the last show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK2W5xkA5Xs

rivest266
rivest266 on November 19, 2011 at 2:38 pm

I posted the January 2nd, 1950 grand opening ad here.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 22, 2010 at 5:47 am

it parked 750 cars and was owned in the late 50’s by P.J.Jones and Carl Floyd.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on May 21, 2010 at 9:13 pm

Nice photo MajorMajor.

AndyCallahanMajorMajor
AndyCallahanMajorMajor on May 21, 2010 at 8:32 pm

Found a picture that I had taken of the backside of the screen. This could be seen from I-275 just south of the 54th Avenue North exit.

TLSLOEWS
TLSLOEWS on April 22, 2010 at 1:11 pm

Thanks MajorMayjor.

AndyCallahanMajorMajor
AndyCallahanMajorMajor on December 25, 2009 at 9:16 am

Here are some pictures taken right after it closed.

rivest266
rivest266 on September 11, 2008 at 5:35 pm

Grand opening ad is on this newspaper page at View link

KarlvonBunko
KarlvonBunko on January 24, 2008 at 9:54 pm

o well, thats really too bad about the drive in. but would you per chance know the name of this ‘school’? as my sister is a teacher/socialworker/therapist and so it might be a contact that could help her out? thanks ~bunko

moviefanaticfan
moviefanaticfan on January 24, 2008 at 7:36 pm

The former 28th Street Drive-In has been demolished and is now a Pinellas County, Florida school for Children with behavior problems. It is located in the city of St Petersburg, in the neiboorhood of Lealman.

View link

KarlvonBunko
KarlvonBunko on May 18, 2006 at 10:15 pm

Greetings,

My business partner and I are looking to (perhaps) lease (or even buy?) this Drive-In Theater and play the old Drive-In films of the 50s, 60s (and the Grindhouse films of the) 70s. If anyone has any information at all on making this happen, please feel free to comment to this post…or get in touch with me directly at: …thank you!

Karl~