The Family Behind the Directory
This isn't built by outsiders looking in — it's built by a family that lived it. The Bzovi family's roots in the theater business run four generations deep, starting with Andrew Bzovi, who moved to Ecorse in 1929 and built a theater empire along the Detroit River.
Andrew built the Ecorse Theater at 4050 W. Jefferson — a one-story brick and stone house known locally as "the Cracker Box." He ran it for twenty-eight years, from the silent movie era through the golden age of Hollywood. Then came his crown jewel: the Harbor Theatre, a 1,360-seat Streamline Moderne theater with a grand lobby, pastel murals, and an upstairs nursery. Opening night, the whole neighborhood showed up.
His son Daniel went on to own and operate the Holiday Drive-In from 1953. Daniel's children — Danny, Diana, and Richard — all grew up working the drive-in. Danny started taking tickets as a kid and grew up to run the whole operation. Diana worked the booth. Richard started cleaning fields, graduated to projectionist, and spent the 70s driving his Boss 302 Mustang to the lot.
The Golden Age
At their peak in the late 1950s, over 4,000 drive-in theaters dotted the American landscape — part cinema, part carnival, part family tradition. Today, fewer than 400 remain. This directory exists to celebrate every single one that's still standing and to preserve the memory of those that are gone.
This Directory
A community-driven project to document every active drive-in movie theater in the United States. Each listing includes live weather, directions, history, amenities, and a guest book for visitor memories. The goal is simple: keep the spirit of the drive-in alive for the next generation.
Detroit Diecast
For over 20 years, Detroit Diecast has preserved Americana through one of the largest collections of rare, restored drive-in memorabilia from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Brand-new drive-in speakers are still produced from the original casting molds, made in the USA with cast aluminum and modern internals.
Vintage Speakers
RCA, Mark II, and Eprad models — restored originals and reproductions from original molds
Bluetooth Speakers
Classic styling with modern Bluetooth amplification
Restoration Parts
Cones, knobs, cords, junction boxes, poles, and bases