Westside Drive-In

The Westside Drive-In opened June 10, 1948, showing “Down to Earth” featuring Larry Parks and Rita Hayworth. It had a 450 car capacity. The Westside Drive-In was owned by Peter Wellman from Girard, Ohio, who also owned the Northside and Southside Drive-In’s. Peter Wellman was a well known golfer, business man and theatre owner in the Youngstown, Ohio area. In 1950, Associated Drive-In Theatres signed a long term lease with Wellman to operate the Southside, Northside and Westside Drive-In theatres. Wellman continued to operate his own neighborhood indoor theatres himself.

In March of 1964, Youngstown Enterprises Inc. was formed by Blair Mooney (Co-Operative Theaters of Ohio from Cleveland, Ohio) along with Carl Kesler from Youngstown, Ohio. They took over the leases for the Southside, Northside and Westside Drive-ins from Associated Threatres. Youngstown Enterprises Inc. will be operating all four of the Youngstown area drive-ins along with the Ski-Hi Drive-In, up to their closing. In 1969, Wellman Theatres ceased operation. After Peter’s death, his sons decided to get out of the theatre operating business and leased all their indoor theatres to Mooney. At the end of the 1986 summer movie season, the Westside Drive-In was closed for good. The property was redeveloped into a Home Depot and Harbor Freight Tools retail stores.

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