Starlite Drive-In
1983 US-90,
Chipley,
FL
32428
1983 US-90,
Chipley,
FL
32428
1 person
favorited this theater
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Opened prior to 1953, the Starlite Drive-In was located west of town on a side street off of US-90. It appears that this one has been closed for a long time, as the site has been entirely reclaimed by woodland. One can still see the outline of the property, but it is unlikely that one could tell that this was a drive-in without having prior knowledge. There might be some remnants in the woods, but it is impossible to tell from aerial photographs.
Contributed by
Andy
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Recent comments (view all 7 comments)
While the address listed is the one given by Google Maps, it won’t map when clicked. Here are the coordinates instead: 30.774326,-85.588903
I found it listed as being on Gary Carter Road, but I can’t find that road in Chipley???
I know it was open in 1967.
The Drive-In held 150 cars.
Anyone have more info or photos?
I uploaded the aerial photo from 1966 here.
I live about eight miles from the property and used to go to that theater as a kid. The theater closed in the late ‘70s then became a junkyard. The property has NOT “been entirely reclaimed by woodland”; whoever stated that is looking at the wrong area on Google Earth.
It was not “on a side street off US 90,” it was about 1.5 miles west of town on US 90 just before Chance Road (which is a county dirt road). I suspect the Chance Road address might have been the mailing address, but the drive-in entrance was directly on US 90.
The photo above of the back of the bigscreen looks like it is from the early ‘80s at which time the property had become a junkyard. The junkyard has since been cleared out. The “STARLITE” sign faced US 90.
The correct coordinates are 30.777018,-85.588246.
You can see an open field and a sort of circular driveway…that driveway cuts through where the theater patron’s cars would park on the south side of the screen. You can see the area where the cars would park in the 1966 aerial photo that rivest266 posted.
Google maps: http://tinyurl.com/m5p7doc
I just uploaded a aerial from 1955.
Boxoffice, Oct. 10, 1953: “CHIPLEY, FLA. - Hurricane "Florence,” which hit the northwestern Florida section recently, destroyed the screen tower of the Starlight Drive-In here. I. Roche, owner of the drive-in, started building a new concrete block tower in the shape of a pyramid. Estimated damage to the tower was about $1,500. Another $250 damage was done to the blinds. This was the second time this year that the screen had been damaged by storms."
A closer address is 1983 US-90, Chipley, FL.
Google Maps has updated their addresses and this puts it right on the property.
It is now private property. The only hints of the drive-in are faint parch marks of ramps in the front lawn and the entrance drive is now the driveway for the residence.
https://tinyurl.com/mrxhmhdb