North Salem Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Salem, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

At first glance, the North Salem Drive-In Theatre looked like it had many more summers left in it. The screen tower was beginning to show its age, with faded paint and a weathered appearance that only seemed to add to its character. The grounds, however, were spotless. Freshly mowed grass, neatly kept parking ramps, and the familiar marquee pointing toward the ticket booths all suggested this was still a place people looked forward to visiting at the end of the day.

These photos were taken while the theater was still showing first-run movies, and that's what makes them special. Nothing here feels like a forgotten relic or an abandoned roadside attraction waiting to disappear. It was simply another evening at the drive-in. Cars rolled through the entrance, families found their favorite parking spots, and before long another movie would light up the giant screen.

Screen and drive-way
Salem, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The theater first opened in 1948 as the Salem Drive-In before later becoming known as the North Salem Drive-In. Like thousands of drive-ins across America, it became part of the local routine. Long before multiplexes filled every shopping center, this was where people came to spend a warm evening outdoors, sharing popcorn from the snack bar while waiting for the sun to disappear behind the screen.

What I remember most isn't any particular movie that was playing that night. It's the feeling of the place. There was something relaxing about watching people slowly drift in as dusk approached. Some arrived early just to visit. Others brought lawn chairs or settled into the back of station wagons. Kids found ways to stay busy while parents talked outside the car. Nobody seemed to be in much of a hurry.

The marquee was another reminder that this was a different era of moviegoing. It didn't have flashing digital displays or giant video screens competing for attention. It simply stood beside the road doing its job, quietly inviting travelers to spend the evening at the movies. Sometimes the simplest roadside signs end up being the ones you remember the longest.

Projection Booth
Salem, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Looking at the weathered screen tower, it's easy to imagine the thousands of double features that played here over the years. It had already endured decades of Oregon rain, hot summer afternoons, and countless evenings beneath the stars. The paint may have been fading, but it still stood proudly over the lot, waiting for darkness to arrive one more time.

Drive-ins always seemed to create memories almost by accident. First dates, birthday outings, family traditions, teenagers with newly earned driver's licenses, and travelers who simply happened to notice a marquee while passing through town. Every evening became part of the theater's story, even if no one realized it at the time.

Screen Tower
Salem, OR
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Sadly, theaters like this became harder and harder to keep alive. One by one they closed, and another familiar roadside landmark quietly disappeared. Today it's difficult to imagine that this busy stretch of road was once home to an outdoor theater where hundreds of cars gathered beneath an open sky.

That's one reason I enjoy looking back at these photographs. They don't show the final days of the North Salem Drive-In. They capture something much better—a perfectly ordinary evening when the theater was still doing exactly what it had done for decades. Looking around, you would never guess that one day the marquee would be gone, the screen tower would come down, and only the photographs would remain.

UPDATE: The North Salem Drive-in is closed up now. The drive-in site is a Abique Rock & Forest Products Company. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 12-10

UPDATE: The North Salem Drive-In closed in 1982 and was later demolished. Highway Fuel Co. now occupies the property, leaving these photographs as a reminder of one of Salem's original drive-in theaters. 07-26

Puget Park Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Everett, WA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

For nearly four decades, the Puget Park Drive-In Theatre gave Everett-area ozoner fans a chance to enjoy films the way they were meant to be seen—beneath the stars from the comfort of their own cars. Opening in 1971, it arrived long after the first wave of drive-ins had spread across America, yet it quickly became a favorite gathering place for families, teenagers on first dates, and anyone who loved the unique experience of an outdoor movie.

Like so many drive-ins, Puget Park was more than just a theater. It was a destination. On summer evenings, cars lined up at the entrance while the concession stand filled the air with the smell of fresh popcorn. As darkness settled in, hundreds of headlights faded away and the giant screen became the center of attention. Weekend swap meets later brought the property to life in a different way, giving the drive-in another role in the community beyond movie nights.

UPDATE: The Puget Park Drive-in is closed up forever now. The 2009 season was the last season for the Puget Park Drive-in. The Drive-in is suppose to be torn down to make way for a medical park complex. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 11-10

Puget Park Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Everett, WA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: Demolition did indeed begin on the Puget Park Drive-in Theatre. According to the HeraldNet, Snohomish County's last drive-in theatre was being demolished in late May 2010. . Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 11-10

Unlike many drive-ins that disappeared without a trace, Puget Park left behind one unmistakable reminder of its past. Although the screen itself is gone, the towering steel framework still rises above the property, standing like a silent monument to the drive-in era. Anyone passing by can still spot its familiar outline and imagine the nights when movies flickered across the giant white screen.

Puget Park Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Everett, WA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Today the lot has taken on a much different purpose, but the old screen tower continues to watch over the property. It's a rare survivor and a fitting reminder that, even after the projectors fall silent, pieces of roadside America can still tell their stories.

UPDATE: Puget Park Drive-In closed in 2009, and the property is now used for commercial vehicle storage. The marquee is gone, but the towering framework of the original screen still stands as one of the last reminders of Everett's drive-in days. 07-26