Posted on 09/06/2025 5:21:34 PM PDT by Libloather
OREFIELD, Pa. (AP) — In a romance and adventure worthy of the big screen, a Pennsylvania couple is preserving the past and forging a future as the owners of the world’s oldest operating drive-in movie theater.
Lauren McChesney got more than admission to a double feature when she handed her ticket to Matt McClanahan at a different drive-in he managed in 2018. They started dating a year later, and, in August, got engaged. In between, they purchased Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, which was Pennsylvania’s first drive-in and only the nation’s second when it opened in 1934.
The couple began brainstorming about drive-ins during a cross-country road trip that included stops at both operational and abandoned theaters. Their original goal was to open a new drive-in, but when they learned Shankweiler’s might get sold to developers, “the light bulb went off,” McClanahan said.
**SNIP**
The drive-in movie theater industry began in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933 and peaked in the late 1950s, with more than 4,000 drive-ins, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. The numbers dropped rapidly in the 1970s and 80s as other entertainment options increased, along with land values that made selling for redevelopment attractive. Though popular during the pandemic, by 2024, there were only 283 left, according to the association.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
They were a blast...Years passed...Took our kids, too.
We had a small, but beloved, drive-in near us here in rural WV. They closed - couldn’t afford the new digital projectors. Apparently the studios moved away from film completely forcing all drive-ins (and I assume all movie theaters) to upgrade to the new format. They tried to fundraise but there just wasn’t the population to be able to swing the new purchase. They still have the food stand open seasonally last I checked.
Market it right, and they’ll make a mint. Gen Z are always looking for something new, and the fact their grandparents did this, will make it even more interesting for them.
Seems like a high price, but if they are making a go of it, fair enough...
I am glad they are keeping it going.
I have fond memories of going to the drive in as a kid. Too bad they’ve closed most of them.
Only went once and had honestly forgotten all about it. But so happy to be reminded of a good memory. Heater on the window, along with the speaker. Lots of popcorn and a fun evening.
Where’s Joe Bob in all this?
For those Freeper’s in the Lehigh Valley, Becky’s Drive-in is still around and kicking.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Becky‘s+Drive-In/@40.7671272,-75.5664844,17z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89c448d30a02744d:0x3c58e4f061a0b688!8m2!3d40.7675335!4d-75.5668224!16s%2Fg%2F1tpn3j0q?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkwMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
My late wife has family in the Lehigh Valley. We’ve been to this theater.
Q: Did you hear about the 2 Finlanders who went to the drive-in to see “Closed For The Season”?
A: They both froze to death.
A drive-in isn’t the same without a bench front seat.
“Took our kids, too.”
Quite a few kids were made there.
I have a dumb question... The first drive-in theatre I went to had a speaker that hooked on to a car window. However, the last drive-in theatre I went to, an alligator clip was put on the antenna and we could hear the sound on our car radio. I couldn’t that today... no antenna and when the car isn’t running, the accessories will only run for about 5 minutes and then they shut down automatically. How do things work in the drive-in theatres that are still around?
In summers of 1969 and 1970 I worked for the Star Lite and Moon Lite Drive-in-Theaters in Fargo, ND and Moorhead Minnesota respectively. They were great first jobs and both my parents and I kept in touch with the owners for a few years after. The manager of those theaters was my first boss and one of the best I ever had.
As an aside, we extended by a week one movie in particular: The Night of the Living Dead. We turned cars away as the theater was full most of the nights the movie showed. It is of course now a cult classic.
I saw Patton, Star Wars and Pink Floyd The Wall and many others at the local drive in.
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