Lonsdale Twin Drive-In
1775 Lonsdale Avenue,
Lincoln,
RI
02865
1775 Lonsdale Avenue,
Lincoln,
RI
02865
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Ads for this drive-in started to appear in July 1955, twinned August 1964 and had its last season in 1986.
She closed around 1985, so glad to have seen many movies there. I also remember it being flooded, and closed, numerous times.
The site has cleared except for the marquee, which has been restored. The site is now a bike path and hanitat. There is some photos on the website www.waymarking.com .
I went to grade school at the top of the hill from the South entrance. Spent lots of summer nights in the 70’s with friends there. The place never opened until late springtime because the Blackstone River encircling it usually made a real mess during the floods from winter thaw. One big, shallow pond with mailbox posts sticking up in neat rows.
My mother worked here in the late 1960’s. My dad and I used to get in free all the time and see the current movies.
Goggle Earth 1995
I spent many a summer weekend at this drive in…My parents would think I was asleep after the Showing of KONGA and my eyes were peeled watching Sherri Caffaro in the Ginger movies…GOD I miss this place!
Our band called THE DURELLS, performed on top of the concession stand during intermission. the dj was a man named Don Ratray for either wpaw or wxtr the station was across the street from the drive in. this was around 1960 0r 1961 and our manager at the time was Roger Lamontange. I was wondering if anyone remembers this and possibly has either any pictures or audio of this.
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Thank you, Ernie Lizotte
Today in history shown on the screen in 1978 (South) John st entrance 10:20 Close Encounter/8:20 The Deep/While on the (North) Lonsdale Ave Entrance 10:00 The Fury/8:20 Suspiria car load $6.00 Phone number 725-2194
Horror movies at the Lonsdale were much scarier. Who knew what would crawl out of the Blackstone River, slit you open and then hide in the narrow aisles of Ann & Hope?
This was a fun place to see double bills in the 70’s. I recall seeing SUSPIRIA plus THE OMEN II, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME plus THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, HALLOWEEN plus CARRIE. I think the first film I saw there as a child was THE LOVE BUG but I may have slept through it…
I recall seeing a newspaper advertisement as late as 1985, but I was living out of state by then. They were showing a triple bill of HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and SUPERSTITION.
O how Fond memories come back it just stilled me when i taught about another Drive-In i had worked at in seekonk,Mass wow and iam not that old either just liked to get out and around eneve if it was just a few months
nothing but great memories.
Here is a link to a story in The Woonsocket Call about the Lonsdal Drive in of today…
View link
Here is a photo of the Lonsdale Drive-In marquee…in ruin. This is the north screen entrance on Lonsdale Avenue.
Two August, 1978 double bills playing at the same time were Corvette Summer & Coma on the south screen (John Street entrance) and The Cheap Detective & The Boys in Company C on the north screen (Lonsdale Avenue entrance.) The drive-in was located on Route 122 in Lincoln.
The Lonsdale Twin, along the banks of the “beautiful” Blackstone River (which regularly flooded the drive-in) was open through the late 80’s at least. It is in the Lonsdale section of Lincoln, RI with entrances on Lonsdale Ave and on Grand Street (across the street from WGNG radio station). A central refreshment stand was the highlight, which sat along side a children’s playground (I split my head open on the slide when I was 9). It was kind of neat insomuch as if you were bored with your movie, you could turn around and watch the other screen. After the drive-in closed, they threw a flea market on the grounds for a while. The concession stand is long gone, but much of the tiled floor remained. I have pictures, if anyone is interested.
The remains of the drive in were torn down in 2004. It is now a wildlife preserve. You can’t fool with the Mighy Blackstone River!
I could be wrong about this, but I think the Lonsdale in the early 1970s closed and then reopened.