Rigsby Drive-In

2831 Rigsby Road,
San Antonio, TX 78222

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Styles: Streamline Moderne

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Rigsby Drive-In

The Rigsby Drive-In was opened by Statewide Drive-In Theatres on April 15, 1950 with John Wayne in “Sands of Iwo Jima”. Long gone and demolished. The site where the drive in once stood is a huge apartment complex.

Contributed by Chuck Van Bibber

Recent comments (view all 6 comments)

lyssa751
lyssa751 on March 16, 2005 at 2:13 pm

This was the only segregated drive-in in San Antonio when first opened. After San Antonio became desegregated in 1954, the theatre was opened to everyone. It didn’t last very long, closing in the mid 60’s.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 29, 2007 at 7:38 pm

In 1963, the Rigsby was operated by Statewide Drive-In Theaters, which also ran the Alamo, Mission, Twin and South Loop. These were all drive-ins and were all in San Antonio.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on February 27, 2009 at 5:44 pm

This is from the San Antonio Express in April 1950:

San Antonio’s biggest drive-in theater, the new Rigsby, opens Saturday night. This is the fourth theater opened in San Antonio by the Landsman-Richter Enterprises, now incorporated into Statewide Drive-In Theaters.

The screen at the Rigsby towers eight stories high with a 200-ton steel and concrete foundation. Sound for the Rigsby will be furnished by the latest model electronic individual car speakers, fed by six miles of underground cable. Vivian Farold Munson, former R.C.A. sound engineer, supervises their operation.

The snack bar and restrooms are located in the center of the parking area, and have glazed tile walls throughout. Directly in front of the screen is a playground for children, fenced in for their safety. The Rigsby has benches provided in addition to the automobile parking space. This bench seating capacity is equal in size to that of an average neighborhood theater.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 21, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Here is a 1955 aerial photo:
http://tinyurl.com/y9q79dt

rivest266
rivest266 on January 12, 2020 at 10:40 am

The Rigsby drive-in opened on April 15th, 1950. Grand opening ad posted.

davidcoppock
davidcoppock on January 13, 2020 at 7:49 am

Opened with 5 colour cartoons(not named), and “Sands of Iwo Jima”.

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