- Abbotsford (Clark County) Wisconsin
13-29 Drive-in Theatre:
GONE
formerly located at 216 South 1st Street
- Eau Claire (Eau Claire) Wisconsin
Gemini Drive-in Theatre: 715-874-5101
located at 6730 Highway 12 West
Open seasonally, May thru September; only
wknds early & late in their season; 7 nites
during summer months (double features).
Admission: if you're going solo, it's $5, but
only $10 per carload if you're feeling social.
Monday is their bargain nite ($3 for singles);
or as usual, only $10 per carload - covers all.
- Fish Creek (Door County) Wisconsin
Skyway Drive-in Theatre: 920-854-9938
located at 3475 State Highway 42
(between Fish Creek & Ephraim)
The big screen at Wisconsin's 2nd-oldest continuously
operated Drive-in theatre has been lit-up since 1950,
but isn't showing its age, being so nicely maintained.
They've modernized over the years, adding AM & FM
radio broadcasting of the movies' soundtrack .. yet,
have kept traditional Dr'in speakers operating for the
presence of the past (the real butter on fresh popcorn
is also always a nice touch; so are foot-long hotdogs).
The Skyway is open seasonally, May thru September;
only wknds in May, then 7 nites June thru Labor Day.
Admission: $5 age12&up; $3 ages 6-11; 5&under free.
- Franklin (Milwaukee County) Wisconsin
41 Twin Drive-in Cinema:
GONE
formerly located at 7701 South 27th Street {Old Hwy.41}
Originally, a solo screen, which opened in the summer of '48 ..
the 41 was first lit with a Western saga- Joel McCrea starring in
FOUR FACES WEST, opposite a young William Conrad, as Sheriff
(Conrad was only 27 when he made the film, his 8th, and was to
eventually become best-known for his TVseries - CANNON, that
would make it's debut on America's televisions 23 years later).
William Conrad passed away on February 11, 1994, at age 73 ..
at a time when the old screen near Milwukee, that he strutted
across as Sheriff, had been lit for 45 years, and was about to
be re-lit for its 46th consecutive season. And it remained so,
with additional screenage being added, for another 7 years ..
but all of that and the legacy of Wisconsin's oldest Drive-in
came crashing down on April 4th of this year, when the '41
was demolished to make way for an insurance office bldg.
- Freedom (Outagamie County) Wisconsin
Field of Scenes: 
located on Highway 55 - south of town
Wisconsin's latest contribution to the overall
renaissance of the Drive-in theatre which we
have been noticing and chronicling, will be this
brand-new-from-the-ground-up & imaginatively
named, large (90' wide) solo screen, which is
expected to be open for the summer of 2003.
- Green Bay, WI
see: Freedom, Wisconsin
- Jefferson (Jefferson County) Wisconsin
18 Outdoor Theatre: 920-674-6700
located on Highway 18 @ County Route 89
(2mi west of Jefferson; 45mins east of Madison)
The Hiway 18 Outdoor Theatre was first lit back in '53,
had gone dark .. and then, like so many other drive-ins,
the property was then sold. But fortunately the buyer's
intentions here were to restore the drive-in and re-light
the screen .. which he did, during Season 2K, making it
one of the first "resurrections" of the new millenium.
The "18" has a capacity for 540 cars, a nice BIG 90' wide
screen, and, although the audio is provided with FM radio
broadcasts, a couple hundred traditional Dr'in speakers
were made operational to benefit the nostalgically inclined.
Thought was also given to renovating the snackbar menu:
if their BBQ pork sandwich doesn't do it for you, unbuckle
and try tackling their 2/3 lb. double-patty Gutbuster burger!
Admission: $6 age 12-64 ($4 Srs); $3 age 6-11; under5 free.
- Kenosha (Kenosha County) Wisconsin
Keno Family Drive-In: 262-694-8855
located at Highway 32 & 91st Street
Wisconsin's largest solo screen Drive-in, with
a capacity for up to 800 cars .. the Keno is also
the state's oldest continuously operated Drive-in.
It's screen was first lit back in 1949, before the boom,
at a time when there were only 4 Drive-ins in Wisconsin.
Presently, they're screening double features, seasonally,
April thru October; audio provided by FM radio broadcast.
Admission: $5 for ages 12&up; $1 ages 4-11; under 4 free.
- Lake Geneva (Walworth County) Wisconsin
Showboat Drive-in: 262-248-7655
located at 2565 State Road 120 (off Route 12)
Still under development; planned as an annex to
their existing Showboat "Entertainment Center"
(currently has an operating six-screen walk-in).
Their Ship was originally expected to come in for
Season 2002 .. but it will be a welcome addition IF
the boat still manages to set sail for Season 2003.
- Milwaukee (Milwaukee County) Wisconsin
see: Franklin, Wisconsin (Hales Corners)
photo: Andy Hilbert
- Monroe (Green County) Wisconsin
Sky Vu Drive-in: 608-325-4545
located at 1936 State Route 69
(1mi south of Monroe, on East side of 69)
The Sky Vu opened-up as America's Drive-in
boom was winding down, back in 1964 (at that
point in time there were 49 drive-ins still
operating in the state of Wisconsin), and it
has operated continuously, on a seasonal basis,
ever since. They're screening double features
every nite during peak summer season, using
FM stereo radio broadcasting for movie audio.
Some worth-mentionings about their snackbar:
they knew their hotdogs- nicely grilled, and
1ft long; (and try the cheese-filled pretzels!).
BTW: their nachos aren't the industrial variety,
they're using real cheeze from regional co-ops,
same as they do for the toppings on their pizza.
Admission: $6 ages 12&up; $3 age 6-11; under5 free
discount admission - $5.50 for adults before 8:30pm.
- Richland Center (Richland County) Wisconsin
Starlite 14 Drive-in: 608-647-3669
located on Highway 14
Solo screen, which has been lit-up since 1950 ..
open seasonally, May thru October, on weekends only;
screening double features, and also running frequent
classic nites, when they light their screen with retro
movies. There is also a FleaMkt SwapMeet
which is held here on the weekends.
- Shawano (Shawano County) Wisconsin
Moonlight Drive-in Theatre: 715-524-3636
located at 1494 East Green Bay Street
This was the second Drive-in to open or re-open
in Wisconsin in the first year of this Century - 2K
(the first having been the Hiway 18, in Jefferson).
It's also the only instance of an operating 'MoPed'
cinema in Wisconsin (and is one of less than 10
anywhere in America); where you will find a Motor
theatre and a Pedestrian walk-in theatre running
at the same location. The Drive-in operating here
is a solo screen, being lit with a single feature
(which is shown twice each nite); seasonally.
Admission: $6.50 ages 12&up; $4.50 kids/srs.
- Sister Bay (Door County) Wisconsin
Skyway Drive-in Theatre: 920-854-9938
located at 3475 State Highway 42
Screening double features, 7 nites during the summer.
Admission: $6 age 12&up; $3 age 6-11; 5&under free.
- Sparta (Monroe County) Wisconsin
Sparta Highway 16 Drive-in:
DARK
located at junction of I-90 & Highway 16
(closed after the 1998 season)
- Wausau (Marathon County) Wisconsin
Sky-Vue Drive-in Theatre: 715-241-0216
located on Highway 29 East @ Hwy.J (8mi E. of I-5139)
Another Wisconsin contribution to the Drive-in renaissance
that we've been witnessing .. built from the ground up, the new
Selby screen at the Sky-Vue was lit-up for the July 4th wknd '99
and remains lit for Season 2001 (there are now 2 screens here).
Audio is provided by FM stereo radio broadcast. Admission:
$6.50 for ages 12 & up, for both features; under age 11 free.
There is also a toll-free telephone number for those people
calling from outside the immediate area: 877-998-0999
- Wisconsin Dells (Columbia County) Wisconsin
Big Sky Drive-in: 608-254-8025
located on Highway 16 East (1mi SE of town)
Old timers may remember this one as the Winnebago
Drive-in, which opened back in 1950, as a solo screen.
Now a twin, and re-christened the BigSky Drive-in, it
has a capacity for about 400 cars between their two
screens, each of them being lit with double features;
seasonally, April thru September. Audio provided with
FM radio broadcast, plus some traditional Dr'in speakers.
Admission: $6.50 age12&up; $3.50 age 6-11; 5&under free.
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