Drive in theaters, a nostalgic, bargain way to see movies

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If you want to give your kids, of all ages, a memorable experience this summer, take in a drive in movie.  At their heyday, there were more than 5,000 outdoor screens operating in America.  Those numbers have dwindled to a few hundred today.  You can grab a piece of history, and see a movie at rock bottom prices. Admission at drive in movies can be as low as $4 for each adult in the car.  Kids under age 11 are free.  If you want to buy snacks at the theater, the refreshments at the concession stand are comparable to fast food restaurant prices.  At my local drive in you can get a huge bucket of popcorn, a candy bar and a soft drink for a little over $5.   However, I follow in my mother’s tradition and bring popcorn, candy and drinks from home. So add up the costs so far for a family of two adults and two children under age 11.  If you buy snacks, you can probably get away for about $20 for the evening…that’s for two adult tickets, one popcorn and drinks and candy bars for the bunch.  If you bring food from home, the evening costs less than $10. Did I mention that this is for TWO movies?  And the movies are current features.  Drive ins get the summer favorites within a few weeks of the local cinemas.  The early movies are targeted for the younger crowd and the second movie may have more adult content.  Don’t forget to check ratings and previews on both movies. Getting ready for a drive in movie takes a little more time and thought than going to the cinema.  Remember, this is an outdoor experience.  So be sure to go prepared.  If you follow this check list, you will be certain to  have an incident free evening.

• Bring lawn chairs, old blankets and pillows.  The best seats in the house are outside of the car where you don’t have to fight the steering wheel for room, or the visor for visibility. If you have an SUV or hatchback, back into the space, open up and let the kids have the car.  Then you can enjoy relative peace in your lawn chair
• Don’t forget the bug repellant.  Mosquitoes in particular seem to love drive in movies.  Or at least the move goers!
• Come early so that the kids can play.  While the pre-movie cartoons are gone, most drive in theaters still have their playgrounds.  Even those too-cool adolescents seem to enjoy this walk down memory lane.  Some drive ins, like the Cherry Bowl near Traverse City, Michigan still have a free miniature golf course.
• Bring your technology—Drive ins have evolved.  Well a little bit, at least.  In addition to that big speaker box, you can hear the movie through your radio.  If you don’t trust your car battery for the life of two movies, bring a portable radio.  Or, using special apps for your Smartphone, turn your cell phone or iPod into a receiver.
• Bring jammies for the kids---or just dress them in sleep pants.  That way when they fall asleep, you point them toward their beds when you get home without having to stop to change.

There are groups of people who are devotees of drive in theater history.  They have cataloged drive in theaters, both open and closed, and created online directories so that you can find one in your area.  At Drive In Movie, theaters are organized by state.  The directory lists both open and closed screens.