Ruskin Family Drive-In
5011 Highway 41 N,
Ruskin,
FL
33572
5011 Highway 41 N,
Ruskin,
FL
33572
4 people
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The Ruskin Drive-In lost it’s screen tower from Hurricane Milton. They are going to rebuilt the screen tower and other damaged items.
Drive-In 54 Can they actually show scope films in scope on the screen?
Nope…Floyd Theatres are long gone. Ted Freiwald bought the drive-in when Floyd Theatres got sold. Ted and is wife operate it now.
Moviefan Is it still operated by Floyd Theaters? Also, do they have actual real scope. I hated Floyd theaters because their idea was the screen had to be full all the time so and scope pictures were off the screen. It was so ridiculous
This is a fantastic place to go to the drive-in theater with your wife girlfriend boyfriend family. The owners are very friendly. Everything at the snack bar is delicious and very reasonably priced. I always get something at the snack bar when I go to the drive-in theater when visiting a friend in Florida. Ticket sales go right back to the studio so that Theatre makes next to nothing on tickets. So grab a popcorn candy soda cheeseburger french fries hotdog. Enjoy a movie under the stars
Does this theater have 1.85 flat and 2,36 scope capabilities?
The Tampa Bay Times ran an article about Ted Freiwald, who owns the Ruskin Family Drive-In with his wife Karen. According to the Times, the drive-in opened on April 16, 1952, Freiwald’s 19th birthday.
Boxoffice, April 4, 1960: “A new member of the Floyd (Theatres) circuit is the Ruskin Drive-In, Ruskin, which formerly was operated by Harry Jones”
it was at a danger of closing last year due to the lights of the parking lot at the publix’s supermarket next year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2F2nSFrEI0
Yup..look at the pictures. A few years ago.
Have they gone digital?
I stopped in and took some pictures of the Ruskin Drive-In. Also, I talked to Ted and Karen Freiwald the owners. They are very nice people and love to talk about the drive-in. If you need to find out anything about drive-in theatres in Florida, Ted is your man.
The Ruskin Drive-In opened in 1952 with “Singing In The Rain”
Above address dos not map properly. Use 5011 U.S. 41, Apollo Beach, FL 33572.
www.ruskinfamilydrivein.com is the official website. The last 35mm print was John Carter, then they re-opened the following friday in Digital..
Its been a while since we have been to the ruskin, now that the baby is 9 moths old we might try getting out there as it is only 10 min from our house.
I’m definatly looking forward to a brighter picure it was really hard watching Harry Potter on the screen with so many dark scenes!
Digital projection has been installed: Tampa Bay Times story here. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune has a story about the Ruskin and the Fun-Lan in Tampa in today’s print edition but I can’t find it online.
I favored the Drive-in!!!!!
thanks Nick for the newstip.
This just in,THE RUSKIN FAMILY DRIVE-IN could be driven out of business if it can’t find the cash to convert to digital. Well,that is about all I am reading,mom and pop outfits getting the dog ditch.What was so bad about 35mm film.Progess I know,tell it to the Ruskin’s folks,tell it to them.
Video from 1996: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puyd2YfFxbA
Here is a 2008 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/lukeuo
Here are some nice shots of the Ruskin. Still going strong.
http://www.ruskinonline.com/DriveIn.htm