Siesta Drive-In

The Siesta Drive-In opened in December of 1952. It featured a 400 car parking ramp with 130 ft. wide screen tower. It was built by F. Hugh Thomas of Waller & Thomas Amusements. They also built and were operating the Trail Drive-In at that time. In March of 1953, Mose L. Waller and F. Hugh Thomas where indicted for failing to pay Federal Admission Taxes at the trial. They were sentenced to 6 months in federal prison and to pay $5,000 in fines. Their jail time was suspended if the fine was paid within two years. In 1955, Ochs Management took over the operation of the Siesta Drive-In. In April of 1958, F. Hugh Thomas returned to operating the Siesta Drive-In again.

On July 4, 1960, the Siesta Drive-In was closed for good and the drive-in was demolished. The final movie program was Marshall Thompson in “Lure of the Swamp” & Richard Todd in “The Naked Earth”. The property was redeveloped for retail. It is now the Sarasota Pavilion shopping center.

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