Amusement Park Drive-In
7335 Mossmain Lane,
Billings,
MT
59106
7335 Mossmain Lane,
Billings,
MT
59106
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An article in the Billings Gazette quoted owner Riley Cook in saying that the wooden tower, “moved to Laurel from Cody, Wyoming about 17 years ago,” was uninsured. “I didn’t have a dime of insurance on it because you can’t insure an old wood framed screen like that,” Cook said.
Over a dozen years ago, a fire destroyed the wooden double-screen of the Admiral Twin in Tulsa. It was replaced by an all-metal screen.
Not only is the new screen sturdier, it is also insured. The old wooden screen was too expensive to insure. So, I wonder if the screen at this drive-in being made of wood was insured at all?
Second screen opened in 2007. 500 cars.
The long-as-your-arm domain amusementparkdriveinonline.com, active last year, is now just parked. Looks like it’s keeping its Now Showing updates on Facebook.
The Internet Archive captured the old site’s History page in painful all caps. I’ll paste it here for posterity:
THE AMUSEMENT PARK DRIVE-IN SCREEN, MARQUEE, AND SIGN ARE FROM THE OLD PARK DRIVE-IN FROM CODY, WYOMING. (WHICH OPENED IN 1946 AND RAN THRU 2003). WE TORE DOWN THE WOODEN SCREEN TOWERS, MARQUEE, AND SIGN AND HAULED ALL TO BILLINGS. WE RE-BUILT THE SCREEN AND BUILT THE REST OF THE DRIVE-IN DURING 2004 AND 2005 AND OPENED IN JULY OF 2005.
SHOWING MOVIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SCREEN IS OUR OWN CONCEPT. THE FRONT PROJECTION BOOTH IS A 1909 WOODEN CABOOSE THAT I HAVE OWNED FOR 20 YEARS. MY FRIEND AND PROJECTIONIST, CHARLES CARON AND I HAVE MOVED IT 4 TIMES THRU THE YEARS. MY WIFE WOULD BRING IT UP WHENEVER WE HAD A DISAGREEMENT “WE HAVE A CABOOSE”. SO YOU CAN SEE WHY I HAD TO USE IT! THE BACK PROJECTION BOOTH IS A 1938 CIRCUS TRUCK THAT I BOUGHT OUT OF THE BILLINGS GAZETTE FOR $300.00 AND REBUILT IN OUR SHOP. WE LIKE TO DO THINGS THAT MAKE US DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE.
OUR AMUSEMENT PARK CONSISTS OF SEVERAL RIDES WE USED ON THE CARNIVAL AND WE ARE WORKING ON ADDING MORE THIS SUMMER. WE ARE ALSO THE ONLY DRIVE-IN WITH A ROLLER COASTER THAT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND OUR SCREEN!!
THIS DRIVE-IN HAS BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS SO THAT YOUR FAMILY CAN ENJOY A TRUE AMERICAN FAMILY EXPERIENCE!!
WE WILL SEE YOU “AT THE MOVIES UNDER THE STARS”
This is the correct website The one projection booth is a 1909 wooden caboose and the second was a 1939 circus trailer. There was a bit more history on the page I submitted too bad it wasn’t moved to this page. Still the address need to be corrected to the same address as their webpage.
There are some photos on this site:
http://tinyurl.com/4bvhk6