Jet Drive-In

500 W. Avenue L,
Lancaster, CA 93534

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Additional Info

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Jet Drive-In sign photo credit Karl Peterson.

The Jest Drive-In was opened by Western Amusements in late-1952. It was closed in the mid-1990’s and was demolished in 2003.

Contributed by R.G.

Recent comments (view all 19 comments)

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on February 25, 2010 at 8:34 pm

Here is a little bit of information on this Drive-in. The Jet Drive-In was running movies in 1956 with room for 400 cars. It was owned by Western Amusements.

ang4988
ang4988 on January 28, 2011 at 2:41 pm

I have lived in Lancaster all of my life and have fond memories of the Jet Drive-in I went there allot as a kid seeing such movies like Harold and Maude, 007 Moonraker, Corvette Summer, The Blue Lagoon, Privet Eyes, Harry’s war, The Pirate Movie,and Rocky III
I have recently found a Geocach there with my boys I do withe there were still drive-in movies so my kids could experience the same things i did but they all seem to be gone now but it is nice to have the memories in my past to go back on.

bigbadtrucker
bigbadtrucker on July 6, 2011 at 10:48 pm

Map is way off the ramps are still there the Jet Drive-In was on Avenue L near Sierra Highway

here is a street view of the jet

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Lancaster,+CA,+United+States&ll=34.660322,-118.13678&spn=0.004907,0.009645&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.660319,-118.137016&panoid=JPYAb5mlYvk4lpHlmxKiYw&cbp=12,228.13,,0,6.48

Here is a satellite view of the jet

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.660155,-118.137147&ll=34.660684,-118.136051&spn=0.004907,0.009645&sll=34.659528,-118.136051&sspn=0.004907,0.009645&num=1&t=h&z=17&iwloc=A

erniejoni
erniejoni on January 17, 2014 at 2:33 pm

Well…I also may have a little bit of information someone might find of interest. The Jet Drive-in was built in 1955 by Ted Jones, the owner of Western Amusement Company. Mr.Jones Included towns of Barstow, Victorville, Needles, and Lancaster, amongst others, as choice locations for movie theaters. He built and/or purchased theaters in these locations. The Jet was built, named and managed by Mr. Dump Myatt who worked for Mr. Jones in excess of 50 years. The Western Amusement Co. purchased the Antelope Theater (walk-in) from Mr. Roach in 1948, who, by-the-way, was a shrewd negotiator. They also purchased the Valley theater (walk-in) from Judy Garlands Father, which burned down in 1953. From 1948 until his death in 1981 Mr. Myatt ran the Valley until burning down, then the Antelope, and when construction was completed in 1955,…simultaneously the Jet Drive.

All are now memories of the past.

As a side note. The Lancaster Drive-in (the competitor on the north side of town)was built by Tex Griffith, who was an ex-partner with Mr. Jones.

Drive-In 54
Drive-In 54 on January 17, 2014 at 4:33 pm

@eriejoni…In looking at aerials it was there in 1953.

Quinton
Quinton on June 17, 2014 at 2:54 am

Does anyone remember the great pastrami sandwich from the snack bar? Never have found another one like it. Very fond memories!

longview62
longview62 on November 25, 2014 at 11:13 am

Ah the Jet theater I remember seeing Alice’s Restaurant in 1969 there along with the Planet of the Apes in 1968. I saw It’s a Mad Mad Mad World in 1965 at the Antelope theater on Lancaster Blvd. Having lived in the Antelope Valley for 52 years

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on January 29, 2018 at 5:53 pm

Jet Drive-In signage photo added credit Karl Peterson.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on May 14, 2019 at 8:26 am

Closed in mid 1990s. Screen demolished in 2003. The snack bar(and bio box?) burned down sometime in the 1990’s.

CRS
CRS on August 21, 2019 at 8:03 pm

The Jet Drive-In opened in late 1952. The aerial photo posted at the top of this page is from 1953.

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