Pinellas Park Drive-in (Demolished)
Pinellas Park, FL
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

A drive-in that has caught the Y2K frenzy is Pinellas Park. The ticket booth is fresh off a gondola ride with a wide wingspan to boot. This drive-in, originally called the Stereo Drive-in, is open seasonally. Currently, the theatre shows religious themed movies and accepts donations for attendees. Many thanks to Budd Ballard for info.

Originally known as the Stereo Drive-In and later advertised as Drive-In Cinema, the theater traced its beginnings to 1959. It became particularly associated with religious films, offering a different program from the Hollywood double features playing at neighboring outdoor theaters. Later accounts describe seasonal screenings supported by donations, giving this little drive-in a distinctive place in the area’s entertainment history.

UPDATE: In 2002 this drive-in movie theater succumbed to development, and now a brand new Walmart Supercenter stands in its place. Many thanks to Brian Koepnick for this update. 06-04

UPDATE: The drive-in was demolished during redevelopment of the property in the early 2000s, and a Walmart Supercenter took its place. The screen and unusual entrance booth disappeared along with the outdoor theater. Photographs preserve the roadside character of a place whose architecture was almost as interesting as anything showing on the screen. 07-26

Screen view Pinellas Park, FL Photo courtesy Georg Balandran	Ticket Booth Pinellas Park, FL Photo courtesy Georg Balandran
Pinellas Park Drive-in Pinellas Park, FL Photo courtesy Georg Balandran	Ticket Booth Pinellas Park, FL Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Ocala Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Ocala, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Ocala Drive-In Theatre gives motorists along U.S. 441 a welcome reminder that a night at the movies can still begin behind the steering wheel. Its roadside marquee and towering screen recall the days when families packed the car with blankets, snacks, and sleepy children for an evening beneath the stars. This longtime Florida attraction has survived more than one apparent final curtain.

Opened in 1948 as Dyers Drive-In, the theater later became known simply as the Ocala Drive-In. Closures interrupted its history, including shutdowns in 2002 and 2007, but brothers John and Charlie Watzke helped bring it back. Following extensive renovations, movies returned on July 29, 2011, giving Ocala another chance to enjoy its hometown outdoor picture show.

Ocala Drive-in Marquee
Ocala, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The drive-in attracted national attention during the pandemic, when it was widely reported as the country’s only theater showing first-run films for a brief period in 2020. Another challenge arrived in June 2023, when flooding covered the grounds and temporarily stopped screenings. By July, the projectors were running again—another comeback for a theater with considerable practice at beating the odds.

UPDATE: Being one of the last single screen drive in's, the Ocala Drive-in is currently showing a triple feature of Cars, Click, and Fast and Furious 3. All for $5.00! That is a real bargain! Many thanks to Bryan Otto for update. 06-06

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive In is suppose to re-open again some time next month for movies. The Drive-In has been closed now for 3 years. It's good that this one is re-opening again. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 11-10

Ticket Booth
Ocala, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive reopened again back in October of 2011 and is now going strong. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 05-12

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive-In Theatre remains open seven nights a week and continues showing first-run double features beneath Florida's largest drive-in movie screen. 07-26

UPDATE: Being one of the last single screen drive in's, the Ocala Drive-in is currently showing a triple feature of Cars, Click, and Fast and Furious 3. All for $5.00! That is a real bargain! Many thanks to Bryan Otto for update. 06-06

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive In is suppose to re-open again some time next month for movies. The Drive-In has been closed now for 3 years. It's good that this one is re-opening again. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 11-10

Snack Bar
Ocala, FL
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive reopened again back in October of 2011 and is now going strong. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 05-12

UPDATE: The Ocala Drive-In remains open seven nights a week, offering double features on two screens with sound through FM radios. The property is for sale, but the operator emphasized in October 2026 that reports of its closure were incorrect. Its future after a sale remains uncertain, so it’s good to see movies still lighting up this longtime roadside survivor. 11-26