61 South Drive-In
8775 Commercial Boulevard,
Pevely,
MO
63070
8775 Commercial Boulevard,
Pevely,
MO
63070
1 person
favorited this theater
This 600 car ozoner opened April 12, 1951 with John Payne in “Tripoli”. It was owned by John Kohler. It had a long run serving the people of Jefferson County. Towards the end it would hold flea markets on the week ends and show the movies at night. It finally went to a week-end only operation and soon closed as a drive-in giving way to being a flea market only. The drive in still stands and was used for the flea market. It still had the big 61 South road side marquee announcing events at the flea market. The flea market has now closed.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 12 comments)
Approx. address is 8828 Commercial Boulevard.
Commercial Boulevard and Highway 61-67 are one in the same.
The owners name was Jim Kohler.. His wife’s name was Robbie. My dad Tom Gabbert was the projectionist there for many years in the 70’s. I spent a big part of my childhood spent there. Great memories. Helping my dad with speaker checks.. Going my friendsmany weekends.. I even remember a big bbq the Kohlers had for employees the day all the new playground equipment was installed. Loved that place!! (Not sure who stated a protectionist shot someone.. Sure wasn’t my dad.. Never heard anything about that happening.)
Just recently, the city of Pevely sponsored the showing of a movie at this drive-in, and there is now a Facebook group dedicated to “Restoring the Peveley Drive In”.
all the ramps are still there and the screen. the projectors booth and the snack bar. there are three portable trailers on the site of the drive-in that don’t belong their though
The site is now advertised as a storage space with a mix of warehouses, covered storage (which is probably what the above person thinks are trailers) and open area. The ramps, snackbar, screen and roadside marquee still exist as of June 2019. The screen looks like it could display a film tomorrow, it’s in great condition.
@ kennerado great! wish someone would reopen this theatre!
I go past this one every week, and as of today this one is still intact. Some buildings are on the property and the snack bar will probably need attention to open, but otherwise it’s ready.
Joplin News Herald, Aug. 31, 1964: “A brief thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy winds, whipped through Arnold (MO) Sunday afternoon, injuring five persons and damaging property … Most of a 1,000-foot-long fence was blown down at the 61 South Drive-In Theater north of Herculaneum and the Marquee was damaged.”
A closer address is 8775 Commercial Blvd, Pevely, MO.
This puts it right on the projection booth/concession stand. For whatever reason, Google Maps has difficulty with the HWY 61/67 address.
https://tinyurl.com/2u34bb4r