Motor Vu Drive-in Theatre
Tooele, UT
Photo courtesy Jack Wright

The Motor Vu Drive-in Theatre is the kind of sight that makes you glad you took the old road. Standing beside Highway 36 in Erda, just north of Tooele, its marquee and giant screen announce a place where an evening at the movies still begins by finding somewhere to park.

The theater dates to the years following World War II, when outdoor moviegoing was spreading across the country. Although older accounts commonly give 1949, an opening advertisement documents its debut on May 19, 1950, with Brigham Young. The original announcement promoted a towering screen and room for 350 cars, with space to expand.

Motor Vu Drive-in Theatre
Tooele, UT
Photo courtesy Jack Wright

Even the weather couldn’t bring the story to an end. A tornado destroyed the original screen in the early 1990s, but a replacement went up and the movies continued. That’s no small accomplishment for a business whose biggest attraction stands outside through every windstorm. Generations of moviegoers got another chance to pull in, visit the snack bar, and wait for darkness.

UPDATE: Now known as the Erda Drive In, the theater continues showing movies seasonally. Digital projection and FM radio sound have brought the equipment up to date, while the single outdoor screen keeps the familiar experience intact. It remains one of Utah’s surviving places to enjoy a movie beneath the stars. 06-26

Echo Drive-in Theatre
Roosevelt, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Echo Drive-in Theatre was still showing movies when these photos were taken, making its bright red marquee an especially welcome sight along Highway 40 in Roosevelt. Finding an old drive-in sign is always fun, but finding one advertising another evening’s feature is even better. This wasn’t just a roadside survivor waiting for someone to remember it.

The Echo dates to the 1950s, with 1956 commonly given as its opening year. Located in northeastern Utah’s Uintah Basin, it offered local families an outdoor alternative to the indoor movie house. One giant screen, a carload of people, and something from the snack bar were enough to turn an ordinary evening into an outing.

Snack Bar
Roosevelt, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The screen tower was impressive, but the playground was one of my favorite details. Swings and slides were once common attractions at drive-ins, giving families a reason to arrive before sunset. By the time these photographs were taken, finding that part of the experience intact had become a treat of its own. For some kids, the movie probably interrupted a perfectly good evening of playing.

The classic ticket booth added to the scene. There’s something satisfying about following a roadside marquee into a place that still has the pieces you expect to find. The entrance, snack bar, playground, and towering screen all worked together, making the Echo feel like a complete drive-in rather than a screen standing alone in an empty field.

Echo Drive-in Theatre
Roosevelt, UT
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Like other surviving outdoor theaters, the Echo has adapted its equipment while holding onto the basic attraction. Modern projection and FM radio sound allow newer movies to play in a setting built for an earlier generation. You still have to wait for the sky to darken, though. That’s one part of the program no equipment upgrade can hurry along.

UPDATE: The Echo continues operating seasonally as part of Roosevelt Theatres, remaining one of Utah’s few surviving drive-ins. Its familiar marquee and outdoor screen keep the tradition visible along Highway 40. These photographs also capture the smaller details that made the place memorable, especially that playground waiting for another carload of kids. 06-26

Echo Drive-in Ticket Booth Roosevelt, UT Photo by RoadsidePeek.com	Playground Roosevelt, UT Photo by RoadsidePeek.com