- Akron (Summit County) Ohio
Gala Twin Drive-in: GONE
formerly located at 2215 East Waterloo
* in this burg that was home to the very first of Ohio's
many outdoor cinemas, we've lost yet another drive-in ..
but hey- we're gaining another housing development!
- Amelia (Clermont County) Ohio
Starlite Drive-in: 513-734-4001
located at 2255 Ohio Pike - aka: Route 125
(east of Cincinnati, between Amelia & Bethel)
Single-screen venue with a capacity for half a thousand cars;
open seasonally, April thru October; weekends only during the
spring and fall; 7 nites during peak season. They're screening
double features each nite, and use AM & FM radio for the audio.
Admission: $5 adults; $2 for ages 4-11; on Tuesdays: $10/carload.
- Andover (Ashtabula County) Ohio
Pymatuning Lake Drive-in: 440-293-7757
located on Route 7 (5863 Beach Street) at Marvin Road
Popular single-screen venue open weekends only (Fri-Sat-Sun);
screening double features of first run films, with the audio for
movies' soundtrack provided by both the traditional Drive-in
speakers and AM radio broadcast. Admission: $4.50 for each
adult, and $1 for the wee folk under age 10. There is also a
Flea Market held here on weekends (Sat/Sun) from 9am-5pm.
- Barberton (Summit County) Ohio
Magic City Drive-in: 330-825-4333
located at 5602 S. Cleveland / Massillon Road
Twin-screen venue open seasonally, April thru October
(Their front screen is the older and larger of the two).
Open 7 nites during peak season, and weekends only
in spring & fall. They offer you a choice from two pairs
of firstrun feature films for you to see each nite .. and
a choice as to how you wish to hear the movies - either
classic (pole speakers) or contemporary (via FM radio).
Admission: 1 ticket for all passengers .. $12 per carload.
- Brookville (Montgomery County) * Dayton suburbs
Melody 49 Drive-in: 937-833-5015
TollFree: 888-635-6394
located on Route 49 North, off of I-70
(aka: 7606 Pleasant Plains Road)
Melody came late to the party - originally a large solo screen
that went up well after the peak of America's drive-in boom,
and now a deuce (the original screen is the larger of the two).
They're lit-up every nite during peak season, screening double
features, and they offer a bonus repeat screening of the 1st film
on Friday and Saturday nites after the co-feature (same price).
Admission: $6 for each adult; free for children 11 and under.
- Celina (Mercer County) Ohio
Lake Drive-In: 419-394-4296
located at 8477 Route 703
Single-screen venue located about 1 hour north of
Dayton; open seasonally, May thru September, only
on the weekends (Fri-Sat-Sun). They are screening
double features; audio provided via AM (530) radio.
Admission: all passengers for 1 price - $6/carload.
- Chardon (Geauga County) Ohio
Mayfield Road Drive-in: 440-286-7173
located at 12010 Mayfield Road
(Route 322, east of Route 306)
The Mayfield Road is a solo screen which was first lit
in 1969 and remains open seasonally, 7 nites a week in
peak season (Memorial Day thru Labor Day); and only on
weekends in spring & fall. Double features are screened
each nite and the audio is provided via FM (101.5) radio.
Admission: all passengers for 1 price - $13 per carload.
- Cincinnati (Hamilton County)
see: Oakley, Ohio
- Cincinnati
see also: Russellville, Ohio
- Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) Ohio
Memphis Drive-in: 216-941-2892
located at 10543 Memphis Avenue, just outside
Cleveland, near I-71 (between Linndale & Brooklyn)
The Memphis opened up right in the middle of America's
Drive-in boom, back in 1954, and presently has three
screens; each lit-up with double features each nite,
and a bonus repeat screening of the main feature on
Friday & Saturday nites. The huge 1000-car facility
still provides audio for the movies' soundtrack with
traditional speakers as well as via FM stereo radio.
Admission: $6.50 per adult; children under age 11 free.
There is also a good-sized flea market swap meet here
on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (75¢ admission).
- Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) Ohio
Miles Drive-in: 216-662-1090 DARK
located at 19001 Miles Road
Huge single-screen venue that opened up in 1953 with a
capacity for up to 1000 cars .. it's presently dark and is up
for sale. The handsome monolithic deco screen tower is
impressive - even unlit, although it was well-designed
to be highly accentuated in neon at night. We just hope
there's light at the end of the time tunnel and this classic
Drive-in will be revived rather than paved-over when sold.
- Columbus (Franklin County) Ohio
South Drive-in: 614-491-6771
located at 3050 S. High Street (1mi north of I-270)
The South is a popular deuce with a capacity for over 700 cars,
screening double features on each of its two screens. They also do
a bonus repeat screening of their main features on the weekends.
Open May thru September; Admission: $7.00 adults; under 11 free.
- Columbus
see also: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
- Dayton (Montgomery County) Ohio
Sherwood Twin Drive-in:
DARK
located at 5363 West 3rd Street
- Dayton (Montgomery County) Ohio
Belmont Auto Theatre:
GONE
located at 2060 County Line Road
- Dayton (Montgomery County) Ohio
Melody 49 Twin Drive-in
•
see: Brookville
- Delaware (Delaware County) Ohio
Kingman Drive-in: DARK
located at 229 Cheshire Road, off Route 23
(9mi north of I-270 :-: 2mi south of town)
The Kingman was a popular solo screen venue which
was screening double features every nite of the week
during peak season (weekends only in spring & fall);
special bonus repeat screening of their main feature
on Fri/Sat/Sun nites. Admission: $6.50 per adult, and any
children under 11 years of age were admitted at no charge.
(The Flea Market here on wknds showcased over 250 dealers).
Their screen went dark after the Last Picture Show- Oct.27 '01.
- Fairborn (Greene County) Ohio
Skyborn Drive-in: 937-878-5022
located on Route 235 @ Haddix Road
Solo screen venue which is located adjacent to the
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, screening 1stRun
double features seasonally May thru September.
Admission: $6 per adult; free for ages under 11.
- Gallipolis (Gallia County) Ohio
Kanauga Drive-in: 740-446-1088
located at 1483 Route 7 North
Classic single screen Drive-in that has remained lit since
1949 and still provides audio exclusively with traditional
pole speakers. Open 4 nites of the week (Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon),
seasonally, April thru September, screening double features.
Admission: $4 for each adult; $1 for ages 6-11; under 5 free.
Monday nite is Carload Nite - admission: $5 per carload.
- Greenfield (Highland County) Ohio
Ranch Drive-in:
DARK
located at 12646 Centerfield Road
- Hamilton (Butler County) Ohio
Holiday Auto Theatre: 513-929-2999
located at 1816 Old Oxford Highway - aka: Route 130
(1 mile up hill from the Meijer store on Main Street)
Originally lit-up back in 1948 as the Hamilton Outdoor Theatre,
the large solo screen has been passed down through several
owners over the years. The current owners purchased it in
1985 and have made a major investment in refurbishing and
embellishing the venerable venue, operating 7 nites a week
year round. They're screening double features of first-run films
each nite, usually accompanied by classic cartoons. Audio for
the movies' soundtrack is provided by radio in stereo (95.5 FM).
Admission: $7 for each adult; $2 for the wee folk of ages 4 - 11.
- Jackson (Jackson County) Ohio
Stardust Drive-in:
DARK
located at 174 Athens Street
- Kenton (Hardin County) Ohio
Hi-Road Drive-in: 419-675-0922
located at 8059 State Highway 68 North
A solo screen on the Ohio nightscape since
1940, this oldtimer was starting to show its
age when the Miller family took the Hi-Road
in 1999 and embarked on an ambitious series
of improvements. Among them, the marqee was
entirely refurbished and now makes a strong
and festive first impression, and they plan to
replace their existing 40' wide screen with
a 70' screen in the near future. Movie audio is
provided with (99.3) FM stereo radio broadcast.
Open seasonally, March thru October; weekends
in spring & fall; 7 nites during peak summer season.
Admission: 12&up $6; ages 3-11 $2; 2&under free.
- Lancaster (Fairfield County) Ohio
SkyView Cruise-in Theatre: 740-653-5517
* also has a toll-free telephone number: 877-286-6843
located on Route 22 (2420 East Main Street)
Among Ohio's oldest Drive-ins, this solo screen
has been lit since 1948. It has been handed down
through the years as a well maintained example of
a very traditional Drive-in .. quite naturally enough,
considering that the current owner/operators here -
since the spring of '94, were well prepared and knew
what they were in for .. having worked the Skyview for
three decades before acquiring it from the original and
previous owner. Among nostalgic aspects of the Skyview
are working traditional car-window speakers, in addition
to movie audio provided with FM radio broadcasting. Open
seasonally, screening two features for one low admission
(April-October): $4 for ages 12&up; ages 11 & under free.
- Lima (Allen County) Ohio
Sharon Drive-In: 419-999-6569
located at 2951 West Elm Street
- Lucasville (Scioto County) Ohio
Scioto Breeze Drive-in: 740-259-2881
located at 9959 Route 23
- Mansfield (Richland County) Ohio
Springmill Drive-in: 419-747-2156
located at 1040 Springmill Street
- Mansfield (Richland County) Ohio
Sunset Drive-in: 419-529-5514
located at 4018 Park Avenue West (Route 309)
This old veteran opened during WWII midway between
Columbus and Cleveland, with a capacity for just over
600 cars. It remains open, seasonally, on weekends in
spring & fall, and 7 nites during peak summer season.
The 60' x 30' screen is lit-up each nite with a double
bill of first run films. More than half of the parking
spaces still have functional pole speakers. Audio for
the movies' soundtrack is also served by AM (530) and
FM (88.5) local vicinity radio broadcast. Admission: $4
per adult; children under 11 years of age admitted free.
- Maria Stein (Mercer County) Ohio
Starlight Drive-in: 419-925-4944
located at 1889 Route 127
- Medway (Clark County) Ohio
Park Layne Drive-in: 937-849-0551
2550 South Dayton Lakeview Road (Rt.235)
- Middle Point (Van Wert County) Ohio
Van-Del Drive-In: 419-968-2178
19986 Lincoln Highway - East Ridge Road
- Middletown (Butler County) Ohio
Dixie Cruse-in:
DARK
(4029 South High Street)
- Middletown (Butler County) Ohio
Starglow Drive-in: DARK
located at 2835 Cincinnatti-Dayton Road
The venerable Starglow dates back to the heydays of
America's Drive-ins, and was a grand solo screen in its
time .. fading to black in 1987. Oddly enough it looks
like a Drive-in doing a brisk business with the tractor
trailer truck crowd (and some Dr'ins actually do, when
they can wrangle past the TixBooth and agree to park in
the back row), but- in the case of the Starglow, the lot
was leased-out to a trucking firm. Still, the fact that all
the basic elements are still there, the screen & tower,
the concession/projector bldg., and, even the TixBooth,
leads us to wonder whether or not there's a possibility
that a subsequent tenant/owner may be able to revive it.
- Midland (Clermont County) Ohio
see listing under: Amelia, OH
- Nelsonville (Athens County) Ohio
33 Drive-in Theatre: GONE!
formerly located on Route 33
The show goes on here, but it ain't what it used to be:
originally, a solo screen, under the stars, which went
dark in 1993, and was subsequently demolished, so
they could build a 10-screen indoor picture show.
- New Carlisle (Clark County) Ohio
Park Layne Drive-in Theatre:
see listing under: Medway, OH
photo: Debra Sherman
- North Ridgeville (Lorain County) Ohio
Aut-O-Rama Drive-in Theatre: 440-327-9595
(local phone# for Cleveland area is: 440-734-1786)
located between Elyria & Cleveland, off Ohio Tnpk.
1 mile west of Exit-9, at 33395 Lorain Road
The screen at the Aut-O-Rama Drive-in was first lit-up
back in 1965 and has been operated continuously by
the same family ever since. In 1972, the family had
twins, and with the addition of their second screen
it has been known as the Auto-O-Rama Twin Drive-in.
The Aut-O-Rama was one of the first Ohio Drive-ins
(and the first in the Cleveland area) to utilize local
radio broadcasting to deliver movie audio track - AM
initially, and presently, using FM radio stereo sound.
They are open seasonally, from the beginning of April
thru the end of September; on weekends only at the
beginning and end of their season; open 7 nites for
the peak summer months, Memorial Day - Labor Day.
They are lighting both screens with double features;
frequently offering first-run films, just as they break.
Admission: $7 for ages 12 and up; $1 for ages 4-11.
- Norwalk (Huron County) Ohio
Star View Drive-in: 419-668-1819
located at 2083 Route 20 West, between
Norwalk & Monroeville (8mi s. of I-90)
- Oakley (Hamilton County) * Cincinnati suburbs
Oakley Drive-in Theatre: 513-271-4600
located at 5033 Madison Road
(between Oakley & Madisonville)
This single screen venue with a capacity for 1000 cars
(located right off I-71) has a dependable following in the
tri-state area, drawing crowds from Indiana & Kentucky,
as well as Ohio. The current screen isn't quite as large
as the original screen, which was destroyed by a twister
in 1993, but remains as popular as ever. Four of the rows
still have functional traditional Drive-in speakers besides
FM (90.1) radio sound throughout. Admission: $6 per adult;
children of ages 5-11 accompanied by an adult are $2 per.
- Oregon (Lucas County) Ohio
Sundance Kid Drive-in: 419-691-9668
located at 4500 Navarre Avenue (Route 2)
- Ravenna (Portage County) Ohio
Midway Drive-in: 330-296-9829
located at 2736 Route 59
- Reynoldsburg (Licking County) Ohio
40 East Auto Theatre: 614-861-2665
located at 8659 East Main Street {40}
(on the outskirts of Columbus, east of I-270)
Family-owned Drive-in which is one of three still
owned and operated by a family which had once
owned 7 of them in Ohio, and had opened the first
one in central Ohio back in 1940. The 40 East is a
twin-screener with a capacity for up to 400 cars;
and is lighting each of its 2 screens with a double
feature; open seasonally, from April - September.
Movie audio provided by radio (91.5FM) broadcast.
Admission: $7.00 (ages 12&up); 11 and under free.
- Russellville (Brown County) Ohio
East Bend Drive-in: 937-373-1307
located at 9897 State Route 125
(38 miles from Cincinnati)
Ohio's latest contribution to America's Drive-in renaissance
is this solo screen Drive-in which opened-up July 20th, 2001.
- Sandusky (Erie County) Ohio
Sandusky Drive-in Theatre: 419-626-2748
located at 3711 Cleveland Road
- Sidney (Shelby County) Ohio
Auto-Vue Drive-In: 937-492-5909
located at 1409 Fourth Avenue
- Springfield (Clark County) Ohio
Melody Cruise-in: 513-324-5486
located on Route 40 East
- Strasburg (Tuscarawas County) Ohio
Lynn Auto Theatre: 330-878-5797
located at intersection of Routes 21 & 250
Season 2002 is the Lynn's 66th consecutive season,
which also makes it the oldest of Ohio's Drive-ins
still in operation, and, second-oldest continuously
operated Drive-in theatre in America. The Lynn is
open seasonally, May - September, with 2 screens
lit-up for a choice of double features on each one.
Audio for the movies' soundtrack is provided by FM
local vicinity broadcast, in addition to maintaining
traditional pole speakers for their nostalgic value.
Admission: $5 per person; $1 for children ages 5-11.
- Tiffin (Seneca County) Ohio
Tiffin Drive-in: 419-447-2551
located at 4041 North Route 53
(10 miles north of Interstate-6)
The screen at the Tiffin was first lit back in 1949
and had been up for only a year when a tornado
took it down .. which was fortunate in a sense ..
since the screen that was then built to replace it
is the largest Dr'in screen in the state (120'w). It's
lit with double features, seasonally, from April
thru early October; 7 nites in summer months;
weekends only spring & fall. Audio: FM (88.1)
Admission: usually $10 per carload; occasionly,
determined by film distributors, $5 per person.
- Toledo (Lucas County) Ohio
see: Oregon, Ohio
- Vandalia (Montgomery County) Ohio
Dixie Drive-in: 937-890-5513
located at 6201 North Dixie Drive
Large solo-screen Drive-in, with a capacity for
over 800 cars, and a classic roadside marquee.
Screens double-features, seasonally, April thru
September (hosts a flea mkt swapmeet wknds).
- Van Wert (Van Wert County) Ohio
Ridgeway Drive-in: 419-238-2100
located at 10721 Lincoln Highway
/ West Ridge Road
With the turning of the Century - Season 2K,
the owners are reverting to calling this D.I.
by it's original name: The Lincoln Drive-in
(The Lincoln Drive-in Theatre opened in 1950).
- Wadsworth (Medina County) Ohio
Blue Sky Drive-in: 330-334-1809
located at 959 Broad Street
Solo screen with a capacity for up to 450 cars,
open seasonally, May thru September; screening
double features. Admission is $12 per carload.
- Warren (Trumbull County) Ohio
Elm Road Twin Drive-in: 330-372-9732
located at 1895 Elm Road NE (Route 5)
Elm Road has been operated for half a century
by the same family, during which time they've
made many improvements, transforming it into
what is undeniably one of the best-run Drive-ins
in the country. For the first 29 years of its life
the Elm Road was an only child - with that one
screen being 90' wide, but the family now has
twins (the second screen added is 80 ft wide).
Another BIG addition was their new concession
hub bldg, that was rebuilt from the ground up;
a landmark among Drive-in snackbars with its
cleverly eclectic menu - over 60 items! and their
frequent specials (like: $4 for a 16" pizza; only
$1 for a foot-long hotdog). Both screens are lit
with double features, and Friday/Saturday nites
the 1st film is repeated as a late show. Audio is
primarily via radio in FM stereo: 91.1 on Screen1,
92.7 FM on Screen2, with a quantity of traditional
Dr'in speakers maintained for the nostalgia lovers.
Their season runs April thru October; open 7 nites
during summer months; weekends only spring & fall.
Admission: $6 adults; $2 for ages 5-11; under 5 free.
- Warren (Trumbull County) Ohio
Skyway Drive-in: 330-898-3059
located at 1805 N. Leavitt Road NorthWest,
off County Rte. 83 (1mi north of Rte. 422)
Solo screen with a capacity for up to 400 cars;
open seasonally, April - October, on weekends
only (Fri/Sat/Sun); screening double features.
Admission: $5 adults; $2 ages 6-11; 5&under free.
Flea Mkt here Saturdays and Sundays (8am-4pm).
- Wauseon (Fulton County) Ohio
Star Auto Theatre Drive-in:
DARK
located at 1150 North Shoop Avenue
- Wilmington (Clinton County) Ohio
Wilmington Drive-in:
DARK
located on Route 134
- Wintersville (Jefferson County) Ohio
Winter Drive-in: 740-266-9020
located at 400 Luray Drive (off Route 43)
Tri-screen venue, open seasonally; 7 nites
during peak summer season; double features.
Admission: Adults $5; Children $2. There is
also a FleaMkt held here on Sundays: 8am-4pm.
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