What makes a drive-in so special?
First-rate movies from the comfort of your own car.
Drive-in theaters were introduced in Britain in 1933 and recognized as the first “automobile movie theater in the world.”
In America, drive-ins gained popularity in the 1950’s and 1960’s. They became a well-liked form of entertainment because of the increase in car sales after the war. It was also a common date idea because of the privacy it would allow and because it was a cheaper and more convenient alternative to the regular movie theaters.
Drive-in movie theaters are not around as much as they used to, but this form of entertainment is still cheaper than the average movie theater. You get to have a more private and personal experience that is more comfortable than many movie theaters, especially if you have reclining seats or take a minivan/SUV.
If you’re the type of person who likes to make fun of movies or have any comments that you would like to vocalize about a movie, this would be the perfect event. There are fewer people around, so cracking a few jokes with your friends won’t hurt and people aren’t likely to shush you for disrupting their movie experience.
While drive-ins used to require speakers mounted to the car window to hear the sound, modern theaters allow you to tune it in on the radio. This allows you to choose your sound level and adjust it as necessary.
You can also bring your own food and beverages, so you can avoid paying the high price of concessions, although you can still purchase the hot dogs and popcorn at the snack booth on site if you choose.
Since the pandemic, drive-ins can be an even better alternative to the normal movie theater. They allow you to sit in comfort mask-free without judgement and, like most theaters, drive-ins generally offer a variety of movies to choose from.
One drawback to drive-in theaters is that they are only used in that capacity after dark, but some locations have found ways to use the open space during the day for festivals and other events.
There are still the classic drive-ins relatively locally, although not everyone can boast of having one nearby. According to 18 Drive-In Movie Theaters, two of the closest are in Sacramento and Concord. Like many drive-ins, they have a retro look and feel and often play classics, but they also play first-run movies. Anyone up for watching Halloween Ends on the really big screen?
