Rocky Point Drive-In
115 N. Country Road,
Rocky Point,
NY
11778
115 N. Country Road,
Rocky Point,
NY
11778
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1 - 25 of 51 comments
Passed the Drive In the other day. Since the photo I uploaded in 2017 the undergrowth has almost obliterated the pylon. Quite a contrast to the pylon for the Skyway Drive In in Greenport which is used extensively by the adjacent Lutheran Church to advertise its activities.
I wonder if the neon was salvaged or saved before the upper portion was removed, it would be a shame if it was destroyed.
So, David, there is your answer. And, Ken, you were right.
But the bottom line is the Drive-In no longer exists and what remains of the pylon and the grounds is a shambles.
That was clever of the man ran the golf driving range.
I just posted a photo taken in 1993 of the complete driving range signage: Golf Range At Rocky Point
‘int’ could have probably been the part of ‘Rocky Point’.
When the Drive In closed it was used as a golf driving range. The Drive In portion of the sign was covered over with new information. When the driving range closed a portion of the “cover” was removed just leaving the “int”. Don’t ask what it said. All that has been removed and the owner put a totally new sign atop the structure. See the photo section. He has had numerous opportunities to sell the property but refuses to do so. It’s really a shambles.
In the photo of the marquee above, the middle part of the marquee says Drive-int, instead of Drive-in(what the?), is that a error!?
750 cars. Clossd in 1988.
Opened on 16/6/1961 with “The Alamo” and “Ole Rex”.
Maybe the owner had the right idea when he didn’t sell to a developer. In this time of social distancing Drive – Ins might be resurrected. this is only one of several Long Island Drive – In sites which haven’t been developed. The other two are the Skyway in Greenport and the Flanders.
I had heard that Walmart and some other big box store had been interested.
Little left to identify it as the Drive-In sign anymore. What will probably happen is the owner will eventually pass away and developers will snap that property up. From what I have been able to follow from down here in Florida there has been interest to build on that property for many years. That will be the ultimate end to the Rocky Point Drive-In.
The decay continues (see new photos) and the owner doesn’t respond favorably to offers made. No one can figure what he wants. Shortly the whole pylon will be overgrown and the blight will no longer be visible.
Kyle, since this is a theater oriented site and there has been little information posted on it I doubt if you’ll get any responses. I think the three pix on this site in the photo section is about all you’re going to get.
Hey there, my name is Kyle Barr and I’m a reporter from the Times Beacon Record Newspapers. I’m looking to do a small retrospective of the drive in, so if anybody here has pictures they have of when it was operational or have any insight into the history of the theater feel free to shoot me an email at
Still better than when the pylon showed the golf range.
Sad to see it in this state. I think it would be nice to see it restored as a “historic monument”.
Finally uploaded pictures of the “new” signage which I actually took almost a year ago.
If you do an online search for Rocky Point Drive In and scroll to a Topix site, the first four pictures are of the drive in when it was operational, including the illuminated pylon, cars in front of the screen and the back of the screen. I don’t think these can be linked.
I was speaking to the owner of the business just under the pylon for the drive in. He felt that Walmart or one of the other big box stores should have been permitted to build there to provide employment for the many graduating high school students along the 25A corridor. His opinion is contrary to the majority who want to prevent overdevelopment of the 25A corridor which is already the home to a dozen strip malls and a shopping center anchored by Kohl’s.
For some time the pylon has sported a new metal sign proclaiming “Rocky Point Drive In” in red and yellow which was erected by the owner to proclaim that this is a commercial site. Town of Brookhaven shot down that claim in a recent court case. To be continued.
markp- I really don’t think drive ins have a place in our area at this time. PS Have you seen that great book “The American Drive-In Movie Theatre” by Don and Susan Saunders? A nice resource. I’m almost, just almost, ready to check out every drive-in they’ve documented against CT. But I do have a life. Walmart has about the best price on it and, at this time of year, if you do it online, there may be free shipping.
Also on Drive-Ins. The site similar to CT lists a drive in in Centereach, Long Island. I’ve yet to find any source of confirmation on this. ?????
robboehm, if I had the money, Id buy it and make it a drive in again.
It’s official, no big box store on the site. It will be used for recreational purposes. Owner had tried to cut deals with Target, Lowe’s and Walmart but locals won out.
The drive in closed in the 1980s. The driving range about ten years ago. The owner has made no effort to sell the property. Target has expressed an interest in building on the site but recent legislation bars new box stores on 25A. The developer has once last opportunity to appeal the ban which coincided with the upgrade of the 18 acre parcel from retail to recreational, a ruling which the owner had previously tried to overturn. In the past the NYS Court of Appeals rarely grants such motions. And so the pylon stands rotting in the midst of weeds, an unproductive eyesore.