Hi-Way 82 Drive-In
US 82 and Marshall Drive,
Tifton,
GA
31794
1 person favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Martin Theatres
Previous Names: Marbro Drive-In
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Anyone ripping down to Florida on I-75 goes right down the middle of Tifton, Georgia. It is in the middle of gnat country so how folks watched a drive-in movie on those hot summer months, well, it must have been an adventure. I have been to Tifton, but ask a local about past drive-ins like I did while eating, and no one has a clue except for the little multi-plex at the mall.
The Hi-Way 82 Drive-In on Georgia State Road 82 connects Tifton with Albany and Waycross. The Hi-Way 82 Drive-In parked 275 cars and opened around 1955 when it was owned by Martin Theatres, which along with Georgia Theatres had a good piece of the theatre market. It was still open in 1965, but had closed by 1966
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
It was not open in 1967.
Tifton is the home of AGRIRAMA, which has nothing to do with CINERAMA. It is a Museum of Agriculture.
“got milk?” “got address?” “got photos?”
Looks like it was on US 82 just west of Carpenter Road. The outline is still pretty visible, but half of the lot has been redeveloped and a Marshall Road runs through the middle of the site.
Thanks Andy.I talk to some locals and they can’t recall any of the names of Tifton’s Drive-ins.And these are people in their 60’s.
There was a second drive-in on US 82 in Tifton, which was closed due to construction of I-75, and is underneath part of the southeast section of the US 82/I-75 cloverleaf.
Here is a 1972 aerial photo of the drive-in, courtesy of Earth Explorer and USGS.
The other drive-in was further west on US 82 near Carpenter Rd, which is visible on Google Earth using historic aerial imagery.
Which one was the Hi-Way 82 and which was the Pines Drive-In? Your guess is as good as mine.
There also may have been a Marbo Drive-In located in Tifton, as mentioned on the Drive-ins.com site.
Chuck, US 82 is the same as Albany Hwy.
The Marbro must have originally been the 82 drive in or the Pines drive in. It was west of the city of Tifton on US 82. When I saw it several years ago, the marquee, screen, concession/projection and boxoffice was still standing with a road cut through the middle. The marquee had an advertisment for the local newspaper and there was an old lamphouse laying on the grown.
My Dad managed the Tift Theatre, the MARBRO Drive-In was named for the Martin Brothers, they had theatres all over Georgia and Alabama. The Pines was on US Hwy 82, going towards Albany. My Dad built the SPAR-DEL Drive-In loacated between Adel and Sparks, just to the side of the Bridge going over the railroad tracks on US Hwy 41. He also built the one in Apopka, FL, named LINDA – after my Sister.
Looks like the marquee is still being used by Patrick Tractor.
The Hi-Way 82 appears that it was opened in the early 1960s. I am not sure if it closed after just half-a-decade, it might be later than that.