Canyon Drive-In

W.J. Wooten launched the 328-space Canyon Drive-In on September 6, 1952. Wooten – whose interest in Canyon theatre operation dated back to the original Olympic Theatre in 1919 – ran the drive-in for 15 seasons. The theatre was at the corner of Hereford Highway and First Street. Wooten closed likely at the end of a 15-year lease.

After five years of vacancy, the drive-in was almost razed in a city revitalization project. But Mr. and Mrs. Harry Swanson acquired all three Canyon theatres. The couple ran the Varsity Theatre and had considered reopening the Olympic Theatre for regular showing of films in 1976. Instead, they concentrated on reopening the Canyon Drive-In instead which they did for 1977. It relaunched June 8, 1977 with “King Kong” and “Lost Continent”. They even tried dusk to dawn horror fests. Without much success, the Swansons closed the Canyon Drive-In after the 1977 season.

The drive-in returned to vacancy until being razed in 1985. There are no traces of the theatre which would now be at the confluence of 3rd Avenue and 1st Street just south of U.S. 60 / Hereford Highway.

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