Mentor Twin Drive-In
9160 Mentor Avenue,
Mentor,
OH
44060
9160 Mentor Avenue,
Mentor,
OH
44060
5 people
favorited this theater
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The Kmart on the former drive-in’s site opened on April 25, 1994 and closed on December 11, 2016. A Meijer now occupies the former Kmart.
Uploaded new ads and picture of the screen tower.
The Madison DI was close by. Will be uploading a updated overview and a few new pictures and ads shortly.
There are two pictures related to the Mentor Drive=in on its gallery page at CinemaTour; (there is a third picture, but it is of the wrong drive-in).
Mentormotionpictures..do you have any pictures to share?
In 1956 the one screen Mentor Drive-in held 425 cars and was owned then by Shulman Schwartz.
The drive-in closed in 1986.
K-Mart was open near by before the Drive in closed that is correct. The super K-Mart was built on the drive in’s property. I have still film photographs and 16mm movies of the drive in.
The K-Mart opened in the 70s, before the drive-in closed.
Here is a May 1963 ad from the Willoughby News-Herald:
http://tinyurl.com/qv2gyh
Last year or so they would show x rated movies. Neighbors complained becaause people would come during the day and hide coolers and chairs in the woods outside the fence and return at night. Management counter this by having secruity patrol the fence and charge anyone admisson who was caught doing this.
Sorry for the many spelling errors. I wish I new how to go back and correct my first two comments made directly above. Spell check would be a great plus for a guest like myself to this site for the 1st time. I tried to upload an image that I own of the Mentor Drive-in but the site’s system is down. Good night.
The address was always call Mentor Avenue throught the 60’s 70’s and 80’s when I live in Mentor. I never heard any one from Mentor High School or Lake Catholic High School call Mentor Avenue Mentor Road. Matter of fact a family member of mine build a fine food establishment called the Avenue on Mentor avenue in the 1990’s. On the opening of the Drive-in in 1950 I would like to see some paper work with with the chamber of commerce. The screen was orginally a flat screen. When the cinemascope picture became popular to compete with the small screens in folks living room the original screen was upgraded. One may be able to research the advent of the cinenarama craze and get an educated guess on what year the huge wide screen was added to the single flat screen Marque with all the neon light display on the front side.
Chuck, I worked as an usher at my home town drive in 1981. Bob Carr and his wife Maureen Carr hired me to both usher and work the consession stand. I was a KSU Photo Illustration student at the time and was able to photograph the drive in. I also had the opportunity to shoot a scene in one of my college student films at Kent in 16mm back in the Spring Semester of 1986. At the time opf the shoot the drive in did not appear to be operating. I also had the chance to work as an usher, ticket booth seller and renovation construction worker at the Great Lakes Cinema in 1984 and 1985. Nation theater Corporation owned the Mentor Drive in at the time. We would make runs and share popcorn with Select theater’s Mentor Drive-in when ever the Drive in was in need. I will try to upload one of my images this week when I get a chance. The Carr’s were the nices people to me. I was quite sad to see the TERRIBLE condition the Mentor was in when I shot my student film there. i HAVE NOTHING BUT GRAT MEMORIES about working there in 1981.