Comments about Hillcrest Drive-In in Dickinson, ND

dallasmovietheaters on September 6, 2026 at 6:00 am

The $75,000 Dickinson Drive-In Theatre was built to the plans of Minneapolis architect Al Svensson. It launched with a sneak preview including the mayor and other dignitaries on August 9, 1950 and a grand opening on August 10, 1950 with Yvonne DeCarlo in “Buccaneer’s Girl” both nights. Operator Frank G. Hallowell nicknamed the concession stand “The Breezeway.”

(For those interested, it was never called the Sunset Outdoor Movies - which was another location about a mile away that opened in July of 1950.)

The Dickinson Drive-In closed for the season on October 2, 1966 with “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” It opened on April 16, 1967 as the Hillcrest Drive-In Theater with “Apache Gold.” As noted above, the venue went out in style with a Labor Day weekend dusk to dawn extravaganza with “Uncommon Valor”, “First Blood”, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, and “Psycho II”. (“48 Hours” was supposed to have been in the marathon but was not shown.) All cars making it to the end of “Psycho II” got a free continental breakfast.

The City demolished the theater on February 21, 1991.

50sSNIPES on January 4, 2026 at 7:16 am

Closed on September 3, 1984 with the dusk-to-dawn show of “Uncommon Valor”, “First Blood”, “Fast Times At Ridgemont High”, and “Psycho III”.

rivest266 on October 28, 2025 at 4:14 pm

Closed September 3rd, 1984. Hillcrest Drive-In closings 02 Sep 1984, Sun The Dickinson Press (Dickinson, North Dakota) Newspapers.com

rivest266 on October 27, 2025 at 10:40 am

The Sunset Outdoor opened on August 9th, 1950, and renamed the Dickinson Drive-In on August 12th. Grand opening ads posted. (Willing to bet that the “Sunset” sign never arrived.)

Drive-In 54 on October 31, 2013 at 4:37 pm

I uploaded the photo, some members might not have Facebook.

Drive-In 54 on October 31, 2013 at 4:32 pm

Here is the LINK

Melissa Koppinger on October 31, 2013 at 4:15 pm

Picture from the 1960’s of the drive-in: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=407741315947816&set=a.348858361836112.89999.314164038638878&type=1&theater

jwmovies on October 11, 2012 at 1:43 pm

Now Denny’s Electric & Motor Repair. Approx. address for this drive-in was 1765 I94 Business Loop E.

Mike Rogers on June 28, 2010 at 4:18 pm

The Hillcrest drive-in parked 350 cars and in 1956 was owned by Hallowell and Wetzstein.

Melissa Koppinger on July 6, 2009 at 2:43 pm

It opened as the Dickinson Drive-in in 1950. Was renamed the Hillcrest Outdoor Theater in 1966 or 1967. Sold to Carisch Theaters in 1982.

Hillcrest Drive-In

1463 Interstate 94 Business, Dickinson, ND 58601

1463 Interstate 94 Business,
Dickinson, ND 58601