Front Drive-In

1279 Upper Front Street,
Binghamton, NY 13901

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50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on March 31, 2020 at 6:38 am

I Checked On Other Websites, It Did Close In 1963.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on March 29, 2020 at 5:45 am

Correction – first run news, not nfws.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on March 28, 2020 at 9:57 pm

Also opened with a cartoon(not named), first run nrws and “Drummer man”. Closed in 1o63 afterI-81 cut off the drive-in from Upper Front Street.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on March 28, 2020 at 7:13 pm

I Can’t Find A Lot Of Information About The Front Drive-In. But All I Remember Is In 1965, The Front Doubled The State’s Offer. But I Can’t Find Anything About The Front Drive-In Ever Since 1964. I Think They Closed It After The 1963 Season Or Something Else….

rivest266
rivest266 on February 18, 2017 at 9:00 am

This opened on June 22nd, 1949.

rivest266
rivest266 on February 18, 2017 at 8:59 am

Grand opening ad in the photo section and below.

Found on Newspapers.com powered by Newspapers.com

lgbirt
lgbirt on March 10, 2016 at 10:38 am

When I was in 4th grade at Nimmonsburg Elementary I lived above the Town & Country Restaurant (now Dunkin Donuts). We used to walk in through the back and watch movies here in the Summer of 1959.

generalenigma
generalenigma on February 25, 2014 at 1:56 pm

Dear lalainthelibrary — The Sun Theatre was on Glenwood Avenue at the corner of Julian Street. The building still stands. You can see it in this web site’s page for The Sun Theatre. Check it out. Jim Macumber

lalainthelibrary
lalainthelibrary on February 25, 2014 at 1:45 pm

@steve_verno: Where was the Sun theater?

adamghost
adamghost on February 4, 2013 at 8:01 pm

Bull’s eye. The little triangle area in the aerial photo with the spot inside it corresponds exactly to my mid ‘70s memory of there being a marquee sign there, and looking at googlemaps it also corresponds exactly to where Wendy’s (1251 Upper Front Street) is. I remember they put the Wendy’s sign right where the old marquee sign had been.

Looks like the drive-in itself is now Wolfe Park. Interesting! Worth a visit sometime.

steve_verno
steve_verno on May 9, 2012 at 4:41 pm

We used to go here when we didnt go to the V-drive In or Airport Drive In. Saturdays were the best days. Going to the Sun Theater in the afternoon and drive in at Saturday night. I wish those days were back and so were drive-ins.

NYozoner
NYozoner on January 13, 2011 at 10:21 am

@Sam: Ask and ye shall receive.

Here is a 1958 aerial photo of the Front Drive-In, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS:

http://flic.kr/p/99ZpVm

It looks like it was a beautiful drive-in, it’s a shame they had to build I-81 over it.

Silicon Sam
Silicon Sam on November 28, 2009 at 11:17 pm

Bet we could find the entrance if we had some sort of Aerial view of the old place….

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on November 28, 2009 at 9:29 pm

THE FRONT DRIVE IN in 1956 held 720 cars and was owned by Herbert Nitke.FRONT DRIVE-IN THEATRE CORP.

adamghost
adamghost on April 11, 2009 at 12:26 pm

I think the entrance was actually where Wendy’s is now. The reason I say this is that in the ‘70s, just before they built Wendy’s, there was still a triangular entry marquee sign next to the road. It was not lettered, so it could have been for something else, but it looked like a drive-in entrance sign. When they built the Wendy’s the sign was removed.

deleted user
[Deleted] on February 10, 2009 at 12:54 pm

A correction to an earlier post: I was told that this drive-in was located at the site where the Empire Plaza now sits.

shoeshoe14
shoeshoe14 on September 8, 2008 at 8:50 am

Was mentioned in the documentary “Drive-In Movie Memories” in 2001.

NYozoner
NYozoner on January 4, 2008 at 7:50 pm

The Front Drive-in opened in June 22, 1949. It’s final season was in 1963. It closed due to the construction of I-81.

deleted user
[Deleted] on March 25, 2006 at 4:14 am

I believe Corey’s Northgate Ford and Mazda now sits on the site of the former Front Drive-In (1279 Upper Front St.).