T-Bar Drive-In
1613 US-87,
Tahoka,
TX
79373
1613 US-87,
Tahoka,
TX
79373
1 person
favorited this theater
The Drive-In was opened around 1951 and was operated by Wallace Theatres. By 1952 it had been re-named T-Bar Drive-In and was still operated by Wallace Theatres chain. There is very little information to be found on the T-Bar Drive-In except that it was demolished by a tornado in July of 1959 and probably was not rebuilt.
Contributed by
Don Lewis
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 6 comments)
A 1956 photo of the T Bar Drive In sign and marquee. Tahoka Texas.
And a photo here and here showing the aftermath of a tornado that destroyed the theater in 1959.
There was an F-Bar Drive-In in Tahoka listed in the 1963 IMPA.
With a different letter.
US-87 N, Tahoka, TX 79373
The drive-in is located ¼ mile north of town on the east side of US-87.
Here is a 1954 aerial photo which shows the location of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS:
http://flic.kr/p/95e6GP
After reviewing aerial photos from 1967 for a five mile radius around Tahoka, my conclusion is that there were no other drive-ins built or operating after the T-Bar was destroyed in 1959. The T-Bar was not operational in the 1967 aerial photos.
The T-Bar Drive-In opened on August 3, 1950 with “Angel and the Badman” with that name (its only name) by Wallace Theatres Circuit. The last advertised show was on Oct. 3, 1952 with “The Red Danube.” It may have operated without ads in 1953 and 1954. After that it’s referred to as the “old drive-in” (never a good sign). The old drive-in’s screen tower was destroyed on June 10, 1959 by tornadic winds.
A closer address is 1613 US-87, Tahoka, TX.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it where the old entrance road use to be.
Today, the Tahoka Maintenance Facility sits on most of the property with a private residence that is located where the entrance was. There is no trace of the drive-in remaining.
https://tinyurl.com/yktntp9n