Sonomarin Adult Drive-In
5393 Redwood Highway,
Petaluma,
CA
94952
5393 Redwood Highway,
Petaluma,
CA
94952
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Background with some names behind the Midway.
Novato Advance, May 24, 1967: “Construction is to start this week on a new drive-in theater to be located mid-way between Novato and Petaluma. Called Midway Drive-In Theater, it will be built just north of the Sonoma County line on the Ina M. Austin ranch. Richard Mann of San Francisco, a co-owner of the theater, said it represents an investment of $350,000. He and two other owners - Robert L. Lippert and Charles J. Maestri - own some 50 drive-in theaters in California and Oregon, including two in Santa Rosa. The theater, which will accommodate 600 cars, will occupy eight or ten acres of the 17-acre parcel purchased by the trip. Mann said the theater is to be in operation by August 1. Colombini Construction Company of Santa Rosa is general contractor. Tresch Electric Company of Novato will do the electrical work. The theater will be operated by Theatre Management, Inc., of San Francisco.”
The Midway / Sonomarin Drive-In was different than the Parkway Auto Movie. The 1977 Motion Picture Almanac gave the Midway’s address as 5393 Redwood Hghwy; the Parkway’s address was 5155 Petaluma Blvd. N.
For more details, see John Patrick Sheehy’s lengthy article at PetalumaHistorian.com. The highlights:
“I was nine years old when Petaluma’s first drive-in, the Parkway Auto Movies, opened in the summer of 1964 … Built in the lowlands of Denman Flats north of town, the drive-in was plagued in summer with creeping ground fog and flooded in winter during heavy rainstorms … A second drive-in, the Midway, also opened alongside the freeway south of town in 1967, offering wired speakers that sat on the car roof instead of hooking onto the driver’s window. That not only saved speakers from being ripped off their poles by customers absent-mindedly driving away, it also provided stereo sound … The Midway’s screen faced the freeway, which meant drivers got a full view of the movies as they passed by. The Parkway’s screen had its back to the freeway, but looked out upon Stony Point Road, a rural lane that was often lined with parked cars during X-rated showings … Rising land prices and the continued transition to home video brought an end to the Parkway in 1986, taking with it what had once been a way of life for families and teenagers in Petaluma. The site was eventually converted into a golf driving range. The Sonomarin (Midway) followed in 1988, the property later purchased by the state of California for use as a flood control reservoir."
Reopened as the Midway Drive-In on December 15th, 1967. Another ad posted.
Incorrect Rivest! There were 4 (!) Adult Drive ins in Northern California…
1) the Midway/Sonomarin in Petaluma
2) Westlane in Davis
3) Parkway also in Petaluma
4) the Notorious SJAM San Josè Auto Movie
Outside of NorCal: Vista, Malaga/Fresno, Oaks/Pussycat (!) in Paso Robles. There wre many more that x rated non porn also….😍😍😍
It’s on the border of Sonoma and Marin counties. A lot of stuff in Petaluma was Sonomarin because of this.
Why the name Sonomarin?
The site is now a flood control lake.
This reopened as the Sonomarin Adult Drive-In on April 1st, 1983. It was the only adult drive-in in Northern California.
Two links with various history & info about the Sonomarin Midway Drive-In Theatre. The latter with projection booth photos.
http://wikimapia.org/7842741/Sonomarin-Midway-Drive-In-Theatre-site-1968-1991
http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/pics/sonomarin/sonomarin.html