28th Street Drive-in (Demolished)
St. Petersburg, FL
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

In the St. Petersburg area of Florida is a grand colorful drive-in theatre called the 28th Street. One of the few remaining open theatres, stop by when you're in the area and watch a flick or two. You won't be able to miss the colorful screen tower. Back in 1970, the 28th St. had two projectors, each running 2,000 foot reels with RCA supplying all the booth equipment. The theatre is still doing well. Many thanks to two-time former projectionist Budd Ballard for info.

The colorful screen tower could be seen from quite a distance, letting motorists know they were getting close to another night at the movies. Out front, the Art Deco-style marquee welcomed drivers into 28th Street Drive-in, one of those places that made a warm Florida evening seem made for sitting in the car with a bag of popcorn and a double feature. The 28th Street's marquee sports a colors harking back to the deco era.

28th Street Marquee
St. Petersburg, FL
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

The drive-in opened in late 1950 and had room for about 650 cars. For nearly fifty years it was a favorite gathering place where families piled into station wagons, teenagers found a reason to stay out a little later, and movie lovers watched first-run films beneath the stars. The bright screen tower and colorful entrance sign became familiar landmarks for anyone traveling through the area.

As newer multiplex theaters spread across town, drive-ins became harder to keep alive. The 28th Street Drive-in managed to hang on until the summer of 2000, ending its long run with a final double feature of Mission: Impossible 2 and Rules of Engagement. It was the end of an era for one of the area's best-known roadside attractions.

UPDATE: The 28th Street Drive-in shut down for good on June 30, 2000. In operation since 1950, the 28th Street was purchased by the Pinellas County School Board. Many thanks to Maria R. for update. 02-04

UPDATE: As of 2005, the site of the old 28th Street Drive-in is now a new Middle School. The Fun-Lan in Tampa, Ruskin Drive in, Silver Moon in Lakeland, and Joy-Lan in Dade City are still open serving the Tampa Bay Metro area. Many thanks to Bryan Otto for update. 06-06

UPDATE: The drive-in closed in 2000, and the screen tower, marquee, and remaining buildings were demolished a few years later as the property was redeveloped. 07-26

Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre
Ruskin, FL
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

Welcome to the Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatreof Florida. This theatre was built in 1952 with the screen location approximately where the box office is now. When U.S. 41 was built, the screen was moved to its present location.

The first thing that catches your eye is the old marquee announcing the "Home of the Last '50s Real Family Drive-In." Beyond it rises the giant screen tower, reminding travelers that there are still a few places where watching a movie means parking the car beneath the stars instead of walking into a multiplex. Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre is one of those rare roadside attractions that still feels like a trip back to another era.

Ruskin Family Drive-In Theatre
Ruskin, FL
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

The drive-in opened in 1952 and has remained in the same family's hands ever since, something that's becoming almost as unusual as the theater itself. Years ago, the screen tower even had to be moved when U.S. Highway 41 was built through the area. Most theaters probably would have disappeared during a project like that, but Ruskin simply picked itself up and kept showing movies.

An evening here still follows a familiar routine. Cars begin filling the lot as the sun starts to sink, families unfold lawn chairs beside their vehicles, and children race around while everyone waits for darkness to arrive. By the time the previews begin, the glow from the giant screen has become the brightest light around. It's easy to understand why generations of local families have made this a tradition.

The Exit Sign
Ruskin, FL
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

The theater has survived changing tastes, rising land values, and the disappearance of nearly every other drive-in in the region. It even weathered the transition from film projectors to digital movies while holding onto the relaxed atmosphere that made drive-ins so popular in the first place. The marquee and towering screen still tell passing motorists that movies are playing tonight, just as they have for more than seventy years.

Then came Hurricane Milton in 2024. Powerful winds brought down the towering screen, leaving behind a heartbreaking sight for anyone who had ever spent an evening here. For a while, it looked as though another piece of roadside America had finally reached the end of the road.

Fortunately, the story didn't end there. The local community rallied around the theater, with volunteers, businesses, and movie fans helping raise money and donate building materials for a new screen tower. After months of hard work, the familiar silhouette returned to the skyline, allowing another generation to enjoy the simple pleasure of watching a movie from the front seat of the family car.

The Snack bar
Ruskin, FL
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

UPDATE: The Ruskin Family Drive-In reopened in 2025 with a newly rebuilt screen tower after Hurricane Milton destroyed the original. The vintage marquee still greets motorists, continuing a roadside tradition that began in 1952. 07-26

The snack bar is right in the corner of the lot. The Ruskin has a capacity of 200.

Auto-Park Drive-in (Gone)
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

There's not much left to see today, but it's easy to imagine what once stood here. Long before empty pavement and overgrown grass took its place, the Auto-Park Drive-in welcomed motorists with a giant movie screen rising above the Tampa skyline. On warm Florida evenings, the lot filled with cars as families settled in for a night under the stars.

The drive-in was already entertaining ozoners during the late 1940s and quickly became part of the postwar boom that made outdoor theaters such a popular destination. Like so many drive-ins of the era, it wasn't just about the movie. Kids played before the show, the concession stand stayed busy between features, and the glow from the screen could often be seen from the highway long before you reached the entrance.

Auto-Park Drive-in
Photo courtesy Andy Callahan

Photographs from its later years show a classic roadside attraction that had become part of the landscape along the Causeway. It must have been quite a sight when the screen was lit and another double feature was about to begin.

Time eventually caught up with the theater, as it did with many drive-ins across the country. The screen tower, concession building, and the rest of the theater were demolished, leaving little to hint that thousands of moviegoers once gathered here on weekend nights.

UPDATE: The Auto-Park Drive-in is gone, and the property has long since been cleared of its familiar roadside landmarks. 07-26