Circle 81 Drive-In
103 New Laredo Highway,
San Antonio,
TX
78211
103 New Laredo Highway,
San Antonio,
TX
78211
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Actual opening date is September 15, 1956. It was closed on July 27, 1976. It was once operated by Gulf States Theatres during the 1960s.
Opened with “The Fastest Gun Alive”, “The Last Hunt”, and “This Is My Love” along with three unnamed cartoons.
The Circle 81 drive-in opened on September 15th, 1956 and closed in 1976. Grand opening ad and AI enhanced photos posted.
As with most “numbered” drive-ins, the Circle 81 was named for its adjacent highway, which was US 81 when it was built.
The March 28, 1960 issue of Boxoffice noted, “The Circle 81 Drive-In is now playing Spanish-language pictures six days a week.”
Why the name Circle 81?
The Playground at the Circle 81 taken by Melissa A Martinez in the late 50s.
View photo here
Aerial of the Circle 81
View here
Noice marquee shot posted by ken mc.
Timeline from 1957 to 1967 must be right by 1956 Motion Picture Almanac has no such Drive-in listed,
This won’t map correctly as the street is New Laredo, not Loredo. The contemporary aerial view doesn’t show any part of the drive-in remaining.
Here is a 1957 view of the marquee from drive-ins.com
http://tinyurl.com/ydsc5ap
Our family used to load up in the “car (or truck) of the day” with the best hot hamburgers you ever tasted that came in white paper bags from a place across the street from the Circle 81. I remember seeing Cleopatra (Liz Taylor and Richard Burton) Some of my best childhood memories
This drive-in also included a playground area at the bottom of the screen. You can see these pictures at http://www.geocities.com/missy78214/circledi.html