Lucky Twin Drive-In
12351 Nicollet Avenue,
Burnsville,
MN
55337
12351 Nicollet Avenue,
Burnsville,
MN
55337
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The Lucky Twin Drive-In opened June 4, 1955 as a twin screen theatre, but only one screen was ready which open with Dale Robertson in “Son of Sinbad” & John Wayne in “The Conqueror”. The 2nd screen opened on July 2, 1955. The curved screens were each 128 feet wide. It had a capacity for 2,000 cars and was independently operated. It was closed in 1979.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
I’ve also seen the drive-in listed as being in Savage, MN which is just to the east of Burnsville and is also on Highway 13?
Open 1964-1980?
Not open in 1967
The largest drive-in in Minnesota?
Anyone have more info or more photos?
Opened July 2,1955
Bob, If you’d like to see where it was located, Google “Historic Aerials” for Burnsville and go back to 1966. The drive-in was northeast of the present-day intersection of Nicollet Avenue and River Ridge (Hwy. 13). In fact, Nicollet Avenue now cuts across what was the west-facing screen’s parking lot. The Lucky Twin should be listed as “demolished,” because the site has been completely built over.
I saw “The Godfather” there on a teenage double date in 1972, when I was still in high school (I grew up in Minneapolis). The drive-in really was up on a bluff overlooking the Minnesota River valley; the west-facing theater had the better view.
Savage, Minnesota is west of present-day 35W (old Lyndale Avenue). Burnsville is east of 35W. In both cases, what were “towns” when I was a kid have merged into one big suburb.
Marquee image with Grand Opening film posters added courtesy of The Last Remaining Seats Facebook page.
The address for this Drive-in is 12351 Nicollet Ave, Burnsville, MN 55337.
The entrance is the entrance road to Burnside Transit Center.
Please update.
This opened on July 2nd, 1955 and had its last season in 1979. Grand opening ad in the photo section and
Found on Newspapers.com
The Lucky Twin Theatre was a $750,000 operation architected by John A. Madison and was purportedly the first in the nation equipped with four-track stereophonic sound. Even though that’s highly questionable, the theatre’s sound system combined with widescreen, curved outdoor screens measuring 64' by 128' showed attention to presentation.
The theatre launched June 4, 1955 – though not as its formal grand opening – as only one of the two screens was ready. The first films were to be “Son of Sinbad” and “The Conqurer.” However, “Son of Sinbad” was the official first film and congratulatory telegrams came in from Hollywood including those from John Wayne, Barbara Stanwyck,Dale Robertson, Dick Powell and Jane Russell. On July 4, 1955, the second screen was ready and the official Grand Opening took place.
In-car heaters came in giving the the theatre year-round operation. And then things got a bit strange…. or stranger if you think year-round operation in Minnesota is normal.
Opened with(offical grand opening) with on screen 1 with “5 against the house” and on screen 2 with “Kentucky rifle”. Why the name Lucky?
The Lucky Twin actually first started off as a single-screener for only a month before becoming a twin a month later. Opening on June 4, 1955 with “Son of Sinbad” and “The Conqurer" with no extra short subjects, the second screen was constructed at the time the theater opened. However, “Sinbad” was the official film when it launched. Finally on July 2, 1955, it became a twin reopening with “5 Against The House” at Screen 1 and “Kentucky Rifle” at Screen 2 with no extra short subjects for both screens.
The Lucky Twin closed for the final time on July 13, 1980 with “Squeeze Play” at Screen 1 and “Seniors” and “Cherry Hill High” at Screen 2 as its final films. Its pretty odd that Screen 2 ended its run as a double-feature while Screen 1 only shows a single feature.