Balsam Drive-In

12450 Balsam Road,
Victorville, CA 92395

510 cars

2 people favorited this theater

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Western Amusement Company Inc.

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The Victorville Daily Press says that Jack Baldock, who at one time or another operated five of the theatres in Victorville, opened this single screen drive-in in 1973. It became a two-screen ozoner on July 1, 1981. Baldock’s company, Western Amusements, also operated other theaters in the West.

Baldock, a prominent local businessman, who passed away in 2002 at the age of 88, was a theatre veteran, having worked in eight different theatres by the age of 16.
The exact closing date hasn’t been determined but for the curious, the drive-in was located in an area behind where Wal-Mart is located, serving as its parking lot. By 2023 it was a parking lot for an Amazon distribution Center.

Memorabilia of some of the theatres in Victorville can be seen at the Victorville Route 66 museum.

Contributed by Ron Pierce

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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)

kencmcintyre on October 22, 2007 at 7:07 pm

I was in Victorville yesterday, which is not a frequent occurrence. I probably drove by the Wal-Mart that is there now.

gripplinger on August 22, 2009 at 3:38 am

I live in Victorville and this drive-in did stand right behind where the Wal-Mart in Victorville is today. If you drive down Balsam Road and look into the field behind Wal-Mart, you can still see the ramps and a few speaker poles still standing. If this one was built in 81, it sure didn’t last long – it was gone by the early-to-mid 90s

Mquiroz on April 8, 2014 at 9:09 pm

What was the name of the drive-in in Victorville? My siblings and I have been racking our brains trying to remember it. It was located by the Burger King on 7th street and the car wash….completely drawing a blank. Thanks, M~

MichaelKilgore on February 12, 2019 at 8:45 am

The San Bernardino County Sun ran an article on April 7, 1981 saying construction of the Balsam Road Drive-In (not yet named) would begin in two weeks and end in June if all went well. Owner Jack Baldock said it would accommodate 528 vehicles and cost about $300,000.

According to Baldock, “A screen has been up at this site for several years, but the project was delayed until this time.” He said the new drive-in would not affect the operation of the Joshua Drive-In, which Baldock also owned.

MichaelKilgore on May 5, 2019 at 10:37 am

Just visited the site last week and uploaded a photo. The Walmart is vacant; its building is for lease. At the drive-in site, many (most?) of the poles remain as stubs ranging from one inch to about eight inches. The paved ramps are still visible with plenty of foliage growing in the cracks. The For Sale sign says to Call IRA at 213-393-9980.

BTW Mquiroz, I bought coffee at that Burger King but couldn’t detect any trace of the Joshua Drive-In that used to be behind it.

MichaelKilgore on January 27, 2020 at 9:08 pm

Billboard, December 1981: “Mrs. Ted Jones, president and general manager, recently announced the opening of the new Balsam Drive In Theatres I & II in Victorville, California. … Each theatre will handle 255 cars, thereby making a total capacity of 510 cars. The theatre will be under the management of Jack Baldock and his assistant manager, Pat Stump. … The Balsam Drive-In Theatres are fully automated and feature the new Polecat Radio Sound plus regular drive-in theatre speakers … alternated every other pole"

MichaelKilgore on April 20, 2020 at 1:22 pm

Billboard, Jan. 1, 1973: “Western Amusement Co.’s plans for a 625-car drive-in in the West Hesperia area recently were approved by the county planning commission. The ozoner is to be located on the east side of Balsam Road, north of Bear Valley Road, and about a half-mile east of the Barstow Freeway.”