Joy Drive-In

101 E. Joy Drive,
Anthony, NM 88021

Closed
1 screen
312 cars

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Kenmore
Kenmore on April 15, 2022 at 12:10 pm

A 1984 aerial shows the screen no longer present. A new entrance was put in at the currently listed address.

The old entrance to the drive-in when it was operational is approximately 2100 NM-478, Anthony, NM. The old entrance is no more.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on April 15, 2022 at 9:10 am

When did the Joy open? The first ad I could find in the El Paso Times was on May 5, 1954, but it looked nothing like a Grand Opening ad.

First (?) Joy Drive-In theater ad in the El Paso TimesFirst (?) Joy Drive-In theater ad in the El Paso Times 05 May 1954, Wed El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas) Newspapers.com

The Joy also advertised in the Las Cruces Sun-News, but the first ad I could find was later that month.

When did the Joy close? The last ad I could find was in the Sun-News on Aug. 25, 1974.

Sounds like it was definitely closed by 1980. “El Paso Times, Nov. 7, 1988: “Eight years ago, sisters Bertha Rizzuti and Ernestina Acosta decided to put the old Joy Drive-in movie theater on their family’s farm to good use. The former snack bar became a preschool classroom.”

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on May 28, 2019 at 9:06 pm

From the Dec. 29, 1956 Motion Picture Herald:

Tom Griffing has bought the Joy drive-in, Anthony, N. M.

Kenmore
Kenmore on October 28, 2017 at 7:50 am

Found it!

The drive-in was located at 101 E Joy Dr, Anthony, NM 88021. It was NW of the city and today it is the La Similla Food Center.

All that is left of the drive-in is the general shape of the property and the concrete foundation for the screen.

http://tinyurl.com/ya3gmzkm