Port Hope Drive-In
2141 Theatre Road S,
Cobourg,
ON
K9A 4J7
2141 Theatre Road S,
Cobourg,
ON
K9A 4J7
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Premiere Theatres Canada
Previous Names: Midway Drive-In
Nearby Theaters
The Midway Drive-In was opened by Premier Theatres Canada in 1947. In 1997 it was renamed Port Hope Drive-In. It claimed to be the oldest longest continually operated Drive In Theatre in Canada. Frome the mid-1990’s it was operated by an independent operator and was closed in late-August 2023.
Contributed by
Michael Kilgore
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Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
This started life as the Midway Drive-In for almost five decades until 1997 when it was renamed the Port Hope Drive-In. The theater housed a total capacity of 483 cars.
Premiere Theatres Canada was its original operator for its first several decades of operation, but faced trouble on January 29, 1986, when Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, Cobourg’s Park Theatre, and the Midway Drive-In were sold to Iranian interests for $250,000, and the Premiere management were very worried about the purchase and popularity of moviegoers in both towns. Premiere Theatres Canada CEO Barry Allen replied that he’s unsure what plans purchasers have in mind, but he described them as “very reliable people”. Allen replied that he feels they will be interested in an idea he has for the theaters. Luckily enough, they made a deal by them for Premiere to continue operating Cobourg’s Park Theatre and Midway Drive-In for local moviegoers to enjoy first-run films and entertainment in the area, but the agreement caused nearby Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre to run its last first-run movie.
The Port Hope Drive-In last operated independently since the mid-1990s, and closed its gates in late-August 2023 for renovations, but it was confirmed as final closure because of extremely poor business. The entire theater was placed on sale afterward, which the “For Sale” sign was visible in the July 2024 Google Maps view. It’s still abandoned as of today.
When the drive-in was converted to widescreen, they simply built a new screen and support structure in front of the old screen. The old screen is still there.