Fort Tepee Outdoor Theatre
3769 O'Neil Road,
Eagle River,
WI
54521
3769 O'Neil Road,
Eagle River,
WI
54521
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The 100-car capacity Fort Tepee Outdoor Theatre was located at the far south portion of Eagle River near Clearwater Lake. It was opened on May 30, 1970 with Dick Van Dyke in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. It went over to screening adult movies and closed on August 27, 1978 with Judith Ambruster in “Varsity Playthings” & Gaby Heinecke in Overnight Models". In November 1978 a windstorm blew the screen down.
As of 2023, only a chunk of the former theatre was replaced by the Canvas Products of Eagle River.
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50sSNIPES
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Recent comments (view all 4 comments)
The Motion Picture Almanac’s first listing for the Fort Tepee Outdoor, located at Clearwater Lake, was when the MPA refreshed its drive-in list for its 1977 edition after a decade of relative inattention. The Fort Tepee’s capacity was list as 100, its owner as J. P. Cozzuol.
The only other hint I could find was in the July 12, 1976 issue of Boxoffice: “The Towne Theatre in New Holstein presented its last show recently and is now for sale. Operator Joe Cozzuolo (sic?), however, has another unit, the Fort Tepee Outdoor at Clearwater Lake in Vilas County, which we understand is doing very well” (Another Boxoffice note in August 1976 on the Towne’s closure spelled the owner’s name Cuzzuol.)
The Fort Tepee’s final appearance in the MPA drive-in list was the 1984 edition, suggesting an earlier closure.
Oh, and the location of the Fort Tepee was just south of O Neil Road from the Clearwater Lake Seventh Day Adventist Church, which is still there. The church’s address is 3770 O Neil Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521.
A small drive-in appeared there on a 1972 topo map but not in a 1966 aerial photo, more clues to the opening date. The map indicated a screen at the northwest corner, but I don’t see it in 1966, 1980, or 1981 aerials of the site.
The Eagle River post office delivers its mail, but the church and the drive-in site are clearly part of the unincorporated area known as Clearwater Lake.
Since you found the location of the Fort Teepee on 2149 O Neil Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521 then I think I found the Eagle River Drive-In on 530 Highway 45 S, Eagle River, WI 54521, which I believe the Eagle River had a little more larger car capacity than the Fort Teepee.
As noted above, the Fort Tepee (thee e’s - not four) Outdoor Theatre operated at 3769 O'Neil Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521. This drive-in was some two minutes away from the Eagle Outdoor Theatre (530 Highway 45) in the summer vacation spot of Clearwater Lake and adjacent to that body of water.
The Fort Tepee Outdoor Theatre was launched by Joe Cozzuol on May 30, 1970 with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” He also operated the Towne Theatre in New Holstein. The Tepee closed for the season in on August 27, 1978 with Judith Armbrüster in “Varsity Playthings” and Gaby Heinecke in “Overnight Models.” In November of 1978, a windstorm knocked over the drive-in tower. Cozzuol changed “Closed for the Season” to “Gone With the Wind” and “Hurricane Alley” as a lasting tribute to the now former FTOT. That signage has since been removed.