Meadow Glen Drive-In
3850 Mystic Valley Parkway,
Medford,
MA
02155
3850 Mystic Valley Parkway,
Medford,
MA
02155
3 people
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The Meadow Glen Mall, which now occupies the site, is closing this weekend. Kohl’s and Marshall’s will remain, but everything in between will be demolished to make way for a new Wegman’s supermarket.
October 7th, 1949 grand opening ad in the photo section for this drive-in.
Approx. address for this drive-in was 98 Locust Street.
A photo of a handbill for the theater from its gallery page at Drive-ins.com advertising the double feature of “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Dr. No” (now that’s a real British Invasion): http://www.drive-ins.com/pictures/matmead003.jpg.
Mystic Valley Pkwy & Locust St, Medford, MA 02155
The above address will map accurately to the location of the drive-in. The address in the current heading is no longer valid, as the address number may have been updated or changed over the past several decades.
Here is a 1955 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of HistoricAerials.com.
I am a faculty member in the graphic design department at The Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Several folks here are working on a book about the architect of the drive-in, Ira Rakatansky. He is 89 years old, and has dozens of drawings of the designs. Incredible details. I am confused by noreaster0’s post listing the drive-in as opening in 1949. The drawings are dated 1962. Perhaps Mr. Rakatansky designed a newer structure for a theater that had been opened for 13 years?
Anyhow, if anyone has photographs to contribute to our book, please contact me at
BOXOFFICE archives report that Paul and Frank Longo opened the Meadow Glen Drive-In on September 29, 1949. They had a 60 foot cafeteria bar and a 50 foot snack bar. Planned conveniences included, a nursery with baby sitters, a wading pool for small children and a laundry (10/1/1949 Page 77) Another plan was to have circulating refreshment wagons summoned by a push-button on the amplifiers in the cars (5/21/1949, Page 86)
Rifkin Theatres and Philip Lowe added the open air venue to thier stable signing a long term lease with property owner Joseph Longo on October 10, 1953. Roland Moon was transferred in from the Quintree Drive-In in Braintree to manage. (10/17/1953, Page 85)
I vaguely remember that theatre.
In last week’s Somerville News, Jimmy Del Ponte recounts his memories of going to the Medford Twin and Meadow Glen drive-ins.
FYI – the Meadow Glen Mall’s website is here.
Unfortunately, the mall has no movie theatre. In fact, the entire city of Medford no longer has any movie theatres.
In an homage to what formerly resided on the property, each of the sections of the parking lot at the Meadow Glen Mall are named after movie stars of yore (‘A’, I think, for Astaire, ‘B’ for Bogart, etc.).