Bay State Drive-In
1180 Fall River Avenue,
Seekonk,
MA
02771
1180 Fall River Avenue,
Seekonk,
MA
02771
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Opened on September 29th, 1947. Grand opening ad posted.
Now Wal-Mart.
The address for this Drive-in is 1180 Fall River Ave, Seekonk, MA 02771.
Please update.
Correction: The MGM report is Card # 604 on Page 28 of the “New England Special Collection”, THSA on-line.
The Theatre Historical Society on-line archive has the MGM Theatre Report for the Bay State Drive-In; it’s Card # 604 on Page 31 of the “New England Special Collection”. But no one filled out the form, so there is no information, only an undated photo probably taken in the late-1940s.
I was 16……..Had my new drivers license, my first true love who was a Jr. when I was a sophmore at EPHS. It just doesn’t get better than that! Bay State Drive In and Eileen Darlings were a big part of my life at that time! Gil
I saw Dawn of the Dead and Mother’s Day in 1980 at this awesome Drive – In…if I remember correctly there was a Skate Park as you pulled in for skate boarders…
U.S. 6 & Commerce Way, Seekonk, MA 02771
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in, which is currently occupied by Showcase Cinemas.
Here is a 1963 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
Item in Boxoffice magazine, June 23, 1958:
“The Bay State Drive-In, just over the state line [Rhode Island/Massachusetts] in nearby Seekonk, recently highlighted the 12th anniversary with gift nights. Running four consecutive evenings, the anniversary featured the presentation of pearl necklaces to the first 100 feminine patrons; Elizabeth Arden perfume to the next 100 ladies; rain caps to all other females present; cigars to all men, and balloons, candy, and lollipops to the kiddies.”
[Note: this anniversary indicates that the theatre must have opened for business for the first time in 1946.]
Hardbop, you must be thinking of the Boro Drive-In in North Attleboro on Route 1.
Wasn’t there another Drive In with a title that began with a “B” that was also located in Massachusetts near the Rhode Island line? I can’t remember the name of it.
When did the Rhode Island/Massachusetts Drive Ins start to close?
Was it the late 1970s? It is amazing how many of them were in urban areas (Lonsdale, Loews, Shipyard) or what would now be congested suburbs (Cranston, Hilltop, Quonset, Seekonk Twin, Bay State).
The “daring” bill I saw at the Bay State with three high school buddies in October of 1958 was “Because of Eve” and “She Shoulda' Said No!” “Because of Eve” depicted both normal and Cesarean type childbirths as well as warning about the dangers of V.D. “She Shoulda' Said No” was a cautionary film about the effects of drugs, especially marijuana, on one girl. Sensationalized ads and promotion were used to lure young people in to see these didactic films that were ultimately very dull and poorly made. I called the first one “informative” and judged the second one “horrible” in my notes made at the time.
I believe around 1958 they had some “daring” double bill called “Wasted Lives” (about illicit sex) along with a featurette called “The Birth of Twins.” We talked about it when we were seniors in high school. I believe I saw that program but in 1959 at the Quonset Drive-In in North Kingstown, RI. It pretty much played only at drive-ins.
I remember this drive-in well. Can’t remember any specific titles I saw here, but I know we went many times.
There was another drive-in in Massachusetts we went to. I think we went there once. It was in Somerset, Mass. I remember that because Somerset was former BoSox second baseman Jerry Remy’s home time.