Van Buren Drive-In
5375 Van Buren Road,
Dunkirk,
NY
14048
5375 Van Buren Road,
Dunkirk,
NY
14048
3 people
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Related Websites
Van Buren Drive-In (Official)
Additional Info
Functions: Movies
Previous Names: Van Buren Point Drive-In
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
716.672.8234
Nearby Theaters
The Van Buren Point Drive-In was opened on July 15, 1949 with Lois Butler in “Mickey”. It closed as the Van Buren Drive-In in 1991. It was virtually destroyed by a storm on November 14, 2011. A new screen has been installed and in July 2021 it was being prepared for reopening. It reopened in September 2021.
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Lost Memory
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Recent comments (view all 66 comments)
Garbage in, garbage out. The street view photo is inaccurate here due to the address being incomplete. The result is the street view pictures are off by a mere 4.5 miles. As a side note, the entrance to the drive in was (is) not actually on Route 5, although it is about 50 – 100 from it. Don’t know how to “fix” the address to make it correct, or more correct, anyway.
Change in status. The drive-in is now destroyed. On the evening of 11-14-11 a severe storm that spawned two tornadoes moved through the area. While I don’t know if a tornado hit the drive-in, there was one within 3-4 miles. The screen is now a crumpled mass of metal.
From Goggle Earth 1991
Approx. address for this drive-in was 5375 Van Buren Road.
Hello all. I’m working on an article for the Chautauqua Star on some old theaters around the area, this week we’re focusing on the Dunkirk Drive-In. Anyone have any leads on who the current owners might be, or info to get in touch with them?
sms..you could go the city/county tax recorders office and find out and do title search of all the owners.
Here is more information
Opened on 15/7/1949 with 2 colour cartoons(not named), a Three Stooges comedy(Shivering sherlocks) and “Mickey”. Closed in 1991.
https://www.vanburendrivein.fun/?fbclid=IwAR1zkMZX_Vxx1LwzAoqWG7kLHeOm65DShiqaWDee7m1E5rbYtBcyJEmQIeI
Theater reopening after major refurbishing and new screens!
Some history from one of the drive-in’s Instagram posts: In 2020 the Beckley Family purchased the VBDI with a great dream and ambition to see this once popular destination brought back to its former glory and then some. Countless hours of work began almost immediately clearing the lot that had been reclaimed by nature over the past 30 years. Work was done to the still existing concession stand, part of the ticket building and its roof had to be rebuilt as it had been torn down with the screen. We had a brand new screen built in the same place as the old one (that) had once stood so strong and proud for 62 years. Finally, in September of 2021 we opened gates for the first time in 30 years. We did not yet have use of the ticketbooth nor the concession building, but used tents, port a potties and a generator for lights and the projector in order to bring movies back to the big screen for the community that had been waiting so long to see happen.