Sky Hi Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Columbia, MO
Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans

The Sky-Hi Drive-In Theatre was one of Columbia's newer drive-ins, opening in 1965 with a bright, modern look and room for 700 cars. Families came not only for the movies, but also for the playground in front of the giant screen where a costumed mascot named "Happy Hi, the Sky-Hi Clown" entertained children before the show. It must have been quite a sight on opening night.

Construction of the theater cost $175,000, and it officially opened on June 30, 1965, with the double feature The Roundersand Quick, Before It Melts. The night before the grand opening, a tornado was spotted near Columbia, but fortunately the new drive-in escaped without damage. The Sky-Hi also boasted what it proudly advertised as the largest air-conditioned snack bar in mid-Missouri, giving moviegoers one more reason to arrive early.

The drive-in operated for about two decades before closing in 1985. Although the theater itself was demolished around 1990, a few reminders of its past can still be found. The rusty light standards near the original entrance driveway are all that's left of a place that once welcomed hundreds of cars on a summer evening.

UPDATE: The Sky-Hi Drive-In Theatre has been demolished, and the property is now occupied by a garden center. Only a few original light standards near the entrance remain. 06-26

Heath Drive-in (Demolished)
Heath, OH
Photo courtesy Mark Hackett

The Heath Drive-In Theatre was one of those places that looked like time had simply forgotten it. When this photo was taken, the screen was still standing above an overgrown field, quietly rusting away after years of sitting abandoned. It had been closed for quite some time, and the weeds had become just as much a part of the landscape as the old screen itself.

The drive-in opened in 1953 as the Heath Auto Theatre and accommodated about 600 cars. It was owned throughout its life by the Price family, who also operated the nearby Valley Drive-In in Newark. One of the more unusual attractions during the theater's early years was live burro rides for children before the evening's movies began—a promotion that's hard to imagine at a drive-in today.

Exactly when the Heath closed is unclear, with historical records placing its final season somewhere between the mid-1970s and the late 1980s. What is known is that the theater sat vacant for many years before redevelopment finally caught up with it. Even the roadside marquee disappeared when State Route 79 was widened, leaving little to hint that a drive-in once stood here.

UPDATE: The abandoned drive-in has since been demolished and the property redeveloped for commercial use. The theater, screen, and marquee are all gone. 06-26

Linden Air Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Columbus, OH
Photo and info courtesy Michael Sekeres

The Linden Air Drive-In Theatre had already been closed for years when this photo was taken, but both the marquee and the screen were still standing. Time and the weather had certainly taken their toll, yet there was something fascinating about seeing a drive-in frozen in place, waiting for moviegoers who would never return. At the time, it felt like it could disappear at any moment.

The Linden Air opened on July 14, 1950, with John Wayne's Red River and served Columbus movie fans for more than three decades. Built by the MacDonald family and managed for much of its life by Bill Queen, the theater closed in 1984 and gradually slipped into abandonment. For years afterward, it remained one of central Ohio's most recognizable ghost drive-ins, with its screen tower and weathered marquee lingering long after the projectors went dark.

Today, very little remains of the old theater. The screen, marquee, and buildings have all been demolished, although portions of the original entrance and exit pavement can still be found if you know where to look. It's hard to imagine that thousands of families once gathered here for a night at the movies.

UPDATE: The Linden Air Drive-In Theatre has been demolished and the property has been redeveloped. Only small remnants of the original entrance pavement are known to survive. 06-26