Tri-City Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Spindale, NC Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
The Tri-City Drive-in Theatre may have been closed, but there was still plenty to see. Overgrown with weeds and surrounded by trees, the old screen and concession stand remained standing, making this one of those forgotten roadside stops that was hard to pass by.
Named for Forest City, Spindale, and nearby Rutherfordton, the Tri-City entertained moviegoers for decades before closing around 1994. It even featured a go-kart track alongside the theater, giving families one more reason to stop in for the evening.
UPDATE: The drive-in has since been demolished, and the remaining structures have been cleared from the property. 08-26
The Mid-Town Drive-in Theatre near Kingston, TN is one of the last few operating drive-ins here in East Tennessee. The drive-in operated as the Roane Drive-in between the 1950's and 1970's. After closing and partially demolishing, the Mid-Town had a rebirth in 1995. Many thanks to Doug Harvey for info. 08-06
If you were driving between Kingston and Rockwood, the Mid-Town Drive-In Theatre was a welcome sight along U.S. 70. The roadside marquee promised another evening beneath the stars, making it one of East Tennessee's favorite places to catch a movie.
Originally opened in 1949 as the Roane Drive-In, the theater later became the Mid-Town and entertained moviegoers for decades. After closing in 1980, it looked as though the story was over, but the drive-in made an unlikely comeback when it reopened in 1995. For nearly twenty more years, families once again filled the lot for double features before the final movies were shown in 2013.
UPDATE: Lack of crowds have put the fate of the Mid-Town Drive-in Theatre in jeopardy. According to VolunteerTV.com, the manager of the Mid-Town stated that the "crowds just aren't lining up like in past years". A for sale sign was put up at the site this past Friday. The Mid-Town Drive-in's season runs through Labor Day. 05-09
UPDATE: The Mid-Town Drive-in is still open for movies. They had a better season this year of 2010 then they did in 2009. The Mid-Town Drive-in is one of the two drive-ins operated by the Blue Moon Theatre company. The other drive-in is the Parkway Drive-in in Maryville TN. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 12-10
UPDATE : The Mid-Town Drive-In closed up in August of 2013 because the owner Doug Freeman won't spend the money to go digital for the Mid-Town location. However, he is spending the money to keep his other drive-in open called the Parkway Drive-in by complying with the film conversion to digital requirement for projection.
Mid-Town Drive-in and entrance
Harriman, TN Photo property of Google
According to their website, they are not going to go digital for next year. and are officially closed up now. However, they may run a limited schedule in 2014 if a few movie companies still distribute movies on film. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 10-13
UPDATE: The Mid-Town Drive-In closed in 2013, and the remaining structures were eventually demolished. 08-26
State Line Drive-in Theatre
Elizabethton,
TN Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Need a movie beneath the stars? The State Line Drive-In Theatre has been doing just that since 1947, making it one of East Tennessee's longtime roadside traditions. Pull into the lot, tune your radio, and enjoy a movie the old-fashioned way. 02-08
Open seasonally each year, the drive-in continues welcoming families for weekend movies from spring through early fall. While the old window speakers have given way to FM radio, the experience hasn't changed much. A trip to the concession stand and a movie under the night sky are still the main attractions.
UPDATE: The State Line Drive-In remains open and continues showing movies each season. 08-26
This faded old Cairo Drive-In Theatre marquee is about all that remained of a once-popular roadside movie stop in Fuquay-Varina, just south of Raleigh. Even with the paint peeling and the letters fading away, the sign still had a way of making you slow down and wonder what the place must have looked like on a busy Saturday night. 08-08
Originally known as the 5 Points Drive-In, the little 250-car theater became the Cairo Drive-In in 1954. It wasn't one of the giant drive-ins around Raleigh, but that was part of its charm.
The Cairo was one of those smaller hometown drive-ins where the attraction wasn't just the movie, but the whole evening. Families piled into the car, kids headed for the playground before sunset, and another double feature was just around the corner. By the time this photo was taken, those days were long gone, but the weathered marquee still stood as a reminder of them.
UPDATE: The drive-in was demolished in 2012, and the property has since been redeveloped into a neighborhood with street names that recall its movie-going past. 08-26
Here is the Gaston Drive-In Theatre in Roanoke Rapids, NC. This drive-in was in service at least until the mid 80’s. Check out what's remaining of the marquee and the screen in this overgrown lot. Many thanks to Tait Hilliard for info. 08-08
The Gaston Drive-In Theatre has been closed for years, but there's still enough left to spark the imagination. The weathered marquee, the towering screen, and the overgrown lot all hint at a time when this quiet stretch of road filled with cars waiting for the sun to go down. It's the kind of place that makes you pull over, grab the camera, and spend a few minutes wondering what it must have looked like on a busy Saturday night. 08-08
The Gaston opened in 1953 during the heyday of the American drive-in. For more than three decades it welcomed moviegoers from Gaston, Roanoke Rapids, and the surrounding countryside before the projectors finally went dark in the early 1980s. One of the last movies remembered on its screen was Blade Runner, giving this little country drive-in one final glimpse of the future before fading into the past.
Unlike so many abandoned drive-ins that disappeared beneath the bulldozer, the Gaston never completely vanished. The concession stand and projection booth are gone, but the towering screen and the remains of the roadside marquee still stand, quietly watching over the old theater grounds. In fact, enough of the original drive-in survives that it has even been recognized as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. That's a rare distinction for a forgotten roadside theater.
Even in silence, it's easy to picture families rolling through the entrance, children laughing before dusk, and another double feature about to begin beneath the North Carolina sky.
UPDATE: The Gaston Drive-In remains closed, but the screen tower and remnants of the entrance marquee continue to survive on the property. 08-26
Mid-Town Drive-in (Demolished)
UPDATE
State Line Drive-in Theatre
Cairo Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Gaston Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Gaston Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
