THE HISTORY OF DRIVE-IN THEATERS
From a driveway experiment in Camden, New Jersey to a beloved American tradition spanning 90+ years
1930s — A backyard experiment becomes an American institution
Richard M. Hollingshead Jr., a general sales manager at his father's Whiz Auto Products company in Camden, New Jersey, files a patent for a "drive-in theater." He experimented in his own driveway, mounting a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car, nailing a screen to trees, and placing a radio behind the screen. Legend says he was inspired by his mother, who couldn't fit comfortably in movie theater seats.
Source: HISTORY.com
On June 6, Park-In Theatres, Inc. opens the world's first drive-in on Crescent Boulevard in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. Admission: 25 cents per car plus 25 cents per person (max $1.00). The first film: the British comedy Wives Beware. The screen was 40 feet wide and 30 feet high, the lot held 430 cars, and sound came from three large RCA speakers by the screen.
1 drive-inSource: PBS American Experience
Wilson Shankweiler opens Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre in Orefield, Pennsylvania on April 15 after visiting Hollingshead's theater. It is now recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest continuously operating drive-in theater in the world. Still open today.
Source: Guinness World Records
Only about 19 drive-in theaters are built during the entire decade. The concept is novel but the technology is crude — centralized speaker systems create noise pollution that angers neighbors and limits where theaters can be built.
~19 drive-insSource: Encyclopedia.com
1940s — GIs, baby boomers, and the speaker that changed everything
RCA develops individual in-car speakers with volume controls that hang on car windows. This single innovation was the largest factor in the public acceptance of drive-in theaters, eliminating noise complaints and allowing theaters to be built in more locations.
Source: Click Americana
Very few new drive-ins are built during the war due to shortages of labor, building materials, and rationing of gasoline and tires. By 1942, approximately 95 drive-ins exist across 27 states. The industry is nearly frozen in place.
~95 drive-insSource: HISTORY.com
Returning GIs buy cars, move to the suburbs via the G.I. Bill, and start families. Drive-ins are perfect for young families — no babysitter needed, kids can play in pajamas, and admission is cheap. The count rockets from ~100 in 1945 to approximately 1,000 by 1949.
~1,000 drive-ins by 1949Source: JSTOR Daily
A federal court ruling invalidates Hollingshead's patent, removing the legal barrier to opening drive-ins. Entrepreneurs no longer need to pay royalties — unleashing a flood of new construction nationwide.
1950s–1960s — Over 4,000 screens light up America's skies
Thousands of new drive-ins are built in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Theaters offer playgrounds, bottle warmers for babies, miniature trains, laundromats, and full-service restaurants to attract families. Nearly every small town and suburb has at least one.
~3,000+ drive-insSource: Smithsonian Magazine
Bengies Drive-In Theatre opens in Middle River, Maryland with a massive 52-foot by 120-foot CinemaScope screen — the largest outdoor movie theater screen in the United States at 6,240 square feet. It remains the last drive-in in Maryland today.
Source: Bengies Drive-In
The number of drive-in theaters in America peaks at approximately 4,063. They account for roughly 25% of all movie theater revenue. From coast to coast, the glow of outdoor screens is an iconic part of the American landscape.
4,063 drive-ins (PEAK)Source: DriveInMovie.com
Drive-ins earn the nickname "passion pits" as teenagers flock to them for dates. They become magnets for B-movies — science fiction, horror, and rock & roll films. Titles like Creature From the Black Lagoon, The Blob, and Muscle Beach Party become drive-in staples.
Source: Encyclopedia.com
1970s–1980s — Oil crises, VCRs, and vanishing land
The Uniform Time Act standardizes Daylight Saving Time, pushing summer sunsets later. Movies can't start until 9:00–9:30 PM instead of 8:15 PM. Families with young children and shift workers stop attending.
Source: 405 Magazine
The Arab oil embargo sends gas prices soaring. People downsize their cars, making drive-in viewing less comfortable, and reduce discretionary driving. Combined with inflation, this hits attendance hard.
~3,000 drive-insSource: NYFA
Home video and the multiplex cinema concept deliver a devastating one-two punch. Indoor multiplexes offer 8–16 screens with air conditioning and no weather dependency. VCRs let families watch at home. By the mid-1980s, the count plummets below 2,000. By 1989, fewer than 1,000 remain.
<1,000 by 1989Source: NYFA
Runaway inflation and soaring real estate values make the large tracts of land occupied by drive-ins enormously valuable. Owners make far more selling to developers than showing movies. Shopping centers, housing developments, and strip malls replace them.
Source: Midstory
1990s–2000s — The lowest point, and the seeds of revival
Drive-ins continue closing at an alarming rate. By the end of the decade, fewer than 450 survive. Some switch to R-rated films to offset declining attendance, further damaging the family brand.
~443 by 2000Source: Reference for Business
The Boulevard Drive-In in Kansas City, Kansas becomes the first drive-in to install digital sound, broadcasting DTS digital audio at 89.7 FM. This pioneers the FM radio audio model that most surviving drive-ins use today.
Source: Boulevard Drive-In Theatre
Hollywood stops distributing films on 35mm, forcing theaters to convert to digital projection at $75,000–$85,000 per projector. Many family-owned drive-ins face permanent closure. Honda launches "Project Drive-In," donating 9 digital projectors directly and sparking a nationwide fundraising campaign that helped save dozens of theaters.
~382 drive-insSources: Washington Post, Honda
2010s–Now — Nostalgia, a pandemic, and a new golden era
The United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association counts 305 operating locations with approximately 549 screens. The industry has stabilized but is still slowly shrinking. Each one is a beloved community landmark.
305 drive-insSource: CNN Business
When the pandemic shuts down all indoor entertainment, drive-ins become the only game in town. Their share of US box office revenue rockets from 2.9% to 85% between March and August. Pop-up drive-ins appear in parking lots, stadiums, and fields. Walmart converts 160 parking lots into temporary theaters in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival.
~318 drive-ins by 2021Approximately 283 drive-in locations operate nationwide. The post-COVID correction saw some pandemic-era openings close, but the industry remains stable. The global drive-in movie theater market is valued at $5.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $9.7 billion by 2034. The magic endures.
~283 drive-ins todaySources: CNN, GM Insights