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Tonto Drive-in Theatre
Winslow, AZ

 

Tonto Drive-in Theatre (1998)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Off the I-40 in Winslow Arizona stand this old remnant of entertainment past. In this case, entertainment relates to an open air drive-in theater.

The screen tower at the Tonto was removed around 2005

Tonto screen tower next to the rail track (1998)
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Tonto Drive-in marquee has been standing the test of time over at least the 20 plus years that I have seen it. Back in the late 1990s, it appeared the drive-in theater was about to be razed over like so many other ozoners across the country, especially as land values continued to rise and big box retailers were clamoring to build upon as much open land as possible. The ticket booth was still here in the lat 90s as well as the screen tower. Writing was on the wall when the screen tower was taken down and the ticket booth demolished.

Tonto Drive-in Theatre (1998)
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Tonto Drive-In theater first opened for business in 1951 and was a central hub for folks looking for outdoor theater entertainment around the Winslow area. The drive-in closed in 1988.

The ticket booth (1998) was demolished in the 2000s
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

 

The old marquee still stands as of 2020. The location is now the site of an Arizona Department of Transportation facility. 11-20

 

 

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© Copyright 1998-2023 Syd Nagoshi. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, copied or revised without written permission of the author.