Flanders Drive-In
299 Flanders Road,
Flanders,
NY
11901
299 Flanders Road,
Flanders,
NY
11901
2 people
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Associated Prudential Theaters Inc., United Artists Theater Circuit Inc.
Nearby Theaters
Located in Flanders on Long Island near Riverhead, NY. The Flanders Drive-In was opened June 10, 1955 with Victor Mature in “Chief Crazy Horse” & Rock Hudson in “Captain Lightfoot”. It was operated by J.M. Seider of Associated Prudential Theatres Inc. It later became a UA theater. On August 10, 1976 the screen blew over during Category 1 Hurricane Belle, and the theater closed with Hugo Stiglitz in “Survive” & Burt Reynolds in “The Longest Yard”.
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Recent comments (view all 15 comments)
You can still clearly see the remains of the Flanders Drive-in from Google Earth, on Route 24 between Riverhead and Flanders. The drive-in is on the south side of Route 24, and the closest side street is Ludlam Avenue.
I remember going here as a kid! We saw Cinderella and had a popcorn fight with our friends in the next car. Too bad they didn’t repair the screen and re-open, would have been nice to have a drive-in closer to home than Rocky Point. I was born in Riverhead but moved to California in 1974, but spent all my summers back home, still remember the Flanders Drive-in though…sigh. Thinking about the drive-in brings up thoughts of The Big Duck, the Riverhead Raceway Indian, Wegert’s Grocery, and my grandparents place behind Long Island Kitchen’s. Good times.
Additional opening announcement uploaded.
This one opened on June 10, 1955.
Time to resurrect in this time of social distancing? I believe the site is still open.
Opened with “Chief Crazy Horse” and “Captain Lightfoot”.
Dispute over closing date. Some say 1974. All mention a hurricane.
Hurricane Belle hit around the Flanders area in 1976. I’m not finding any record of a hurricane near the Flanders area in 1974.
The drive-in remained untouched for nearly 30 years until development began in 2005/2006.
Category 1 Hurricane Belle blew the screen over on August 10, 1976 with its last films being “Survive” and “The Longest Yard”.
Joe Bob Report, Jan. 11, 1993: “Superior Being Alert! In 1977 God saw it to send Hurricane Belle to the eastern end of Long Island, New York, where it blew the Flanders Drive-In screen at least halfway to Connecticut. The drive-in has never been torn down, but this year a forest of scrub pine broke through the parking lot. Things are looking grim indeed. Bruce Thompson of Stanford, California, reminds us that, without eternal vigilance, it can happen here.”