Back during the heyday of the outdoor cinema in America,
Maryland once had as many as 42 Drive-in movie theatres.
At present, 95% of those have gone dark or have been
demolished, and only two of them remain in operation.
On the near horizon however, watch for the addition of 3
more screens when the Bumpers opens in Carroll County!
Here are the remaining Maryland Drive-in theatres that you
can still enjoy and which would appreciate your support:
- Baltimore area (Baltimore County) Maryland
Bengies Drive-in: 410-687-5627 / 410-686-4698
located at 3417 Eastern Boulevard (Middle River)
Originally lit back in June of 1956 during the heyday of
the American Drive-in, Bengie's has managed to remain
lit despite successive seasonal reports of its imminent
demise. The State of Maryland recognized the Bengie's
as one of its official state "treasures" in the course of
Y2K festivities and publicity. It has the largest screen
of any Drive-in Movie Theatre on the East Coast - which
measures-up at: 120' wide x 52' high, and has a capacity
for up to 750 cars. Open seasonally (April thru October),
Bengie's screens double features each nite as a rule, and
very frequently will offer a triple feature on the weekends.
Audio is provided by AM/FM radio or traditional speakers.
- Churchville (Harford County) Maryland
Bel Air Drive-in: 410-734-7788
located on Route 22 (Churchville Road)
This solo-screen venue with a capacity for up to 400
cars is the oldest of Maryland's remaining Drive-ins ..
in operation since 1952. Open seasonally, April thru
September (their snackbar however is open year-round);
audio for the movies' soundtrack provided by AM/FM radio.
- Eldersburg (Carroll County) Maryland
Bumpers Drive-in Theatre:
located on Liberty Road (Route 26)
This improvement for Maryland's thinning Ozoner layer
is a new and ambitious facility which is being built from
the ground up on 44-acres in southern Carroll County.
Zoning issues are being resolved which have delayed
its construction (previously it had been hoped that the
Bumpers would open by late summer of 2001). While
development of this 3-screen 1000-car Dr'in is moving
ahead again, making-up for lost time, plus proverbial
red tape, means that an opening in 2001 is now O.O.Q.,
but look for the screens to be lit MemDay weekend 2002.
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If you are aware of any Drive-ins
that we seem to have missed, or
would like to contribute any
information to our efforts,
please use this envelope
to send a letter to us.
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