11th Street Drive-In
9897 E. 11th Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74128
9897 E. 11th Street,
Tulsa,
OK
74128
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The drive-in was twinned in 1964 when it had closed as the 66 Drive-In, then re-opened as the 11th Street Drive-In.
I’ve included a link to an aerial photo from the Tulsa City County Library that is timestamped September 10th, 1967. It clearly shows the drive-in with TWO screens as can be seen in the upper right corner. https://cdm16063.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16063coll3/id/34
The 11th Street Drive-In changed its name to the 11th Street TWIN in 1977. The ad from 1977 is stating the change in the drive-in’s name, not that a second screen was added.
Despite being under a few feet of dirt and grass, parch marks from the ramps of the second screen are visible on the north end of the property in this Google overhead view.
https://tinyurl.com/yndhmhxx
The 1967 aerial photo is not misdated. It clearly shows Tulsa as it was in 1967 which includes a twinned 11th Street Drive-In.
First, a 1968 Topo map shows the drive-in twinned. Now, topo maps can be terribly out of date, but they don’t add things that are not there.
The same 1967 aerial photo shows the Skyview Drive-In open and operational when it was closed in 1970 and demolished shortly afterwards.
HWY 75 North, which construction began by 1969 and was completed by 1977 doesn’t exist. Eastland Mall, which was almost completed by the mid-1970s doesn’t exist in the photo either.
I can go on, but the aerial photo is accurate. The ad is wrong.
Two screens on March 25th, 1977. Grand opening ad posted. The aerial photo is misdated.
The 1967 photo at HistoricAerials.com shows the Hi-Way 66 already twinned.
A more accurate address is 9897 E 11th St, Tulsa, OK 74128. This points directly to the church which now sits in the middle of what used to be the drive-in.
For the record, Google Maps still use Route 66, so it is not outdated. Although most Tulsans (like me) refer to the road as 11th street.
You can no longer use Route 66. This is now 9727 11th St. Tulsa OK 74128.
Please update.
There is a “66 Drive-In” in Carthage, Missouri. Before it became the “11th Street Drive-In”, it was known as the “Hi-Way 66” in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This might be the same drive-in (called 66 Drive-in) shown on page 135 of the book Legendary Route 66?
A somewhat more accurate address (at least for Google) is 9727 Route 66, Tulsa, OK. This marks the entrance to the property itself, not the intersection of which the drive-in was never located nor is next to like the storage company.
Today, God’s Shining Light Church sits on part of the property, but there is no trace of the drive-in remaining having been completely demolished shortly after it was closed. http://tinyurl.com/zwm4wlq
With Deference to seymourcox The picture you link is of the Airview Drive-in in Tulsa, not the 66/11th Street DI.
There are two links to Rick Cohens aerial identification picture.
Aerial here
Grand Opening Ad showing 1946’s “Canyon Passage” added to Photo Section.
Aerial View of the 11th Street Drive In from 1967.
http://tinyurl.com/kkjhnsy
I worked the concession stand at the 11th Street Drive In the final two years it was open. It was certainly a great experience for me and boy did we show some oddball films at that place. Still, I will never forget Kenny Rogers' film “Six Pack” packed the place for weeks on end.
With all deference to “Chuck” he is way off on his facts for this drive-in.
First of all, the picture is of the AIRWIEW drive in, and is from the Beryl Ford collection, available through the Tulsa city county library.
Secondly, the 66 drive-in as it was originally called when it opened on Aug 21, 1947. It was built by Griffith theaters, which later became Video theaters. It was rebuilt as the 66 drive-in on march 4, 1964. It was later twinned in march of 1977.
After video theaters was sold to Martin theaters, it finally closed in June of 1983.
Chuck is correct in that it was demolished and a church currently occupies the site which is just West of 169 on the North side of the street.
Wesley Horton
American institute of drive-in archaeology.
All the way up to 1967 the 11th Street Drive-in always included a newsreel on the program. Universal News were the last to be shown.
Later day photo after screen tower had been expanded to wide screen,
http://www.tulsalibrary.org/JPG/C1690.jpg
View vintage photos of this cinema when it was still known as Route-66 Drive-In Theatre,
View link
For complete history of Tulsa’s Highway 66 Drive-In, see;
http://tulsatvmemories.com/aida.html