Apache Drive-in Theatre (Closed)
Globe, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Apache Drive-in Theatre of Globe, Arizona is an example of the recent fate of drive-in theaters throughout the country. Seemingly in decent shape, weeds on lot notwithstanding, the Apache sports its proud single-screen right next to the major highway.

For more, see Roadside Peek's Lost Treasures Feature on the Apache Drive-in Theatre.

Apache Drive-in Marquee (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ
Photo courtesy George Cohn

The Apache Drive-in Theatre was one of the last of the many Tucson Drive-ins to close down. Starting off as a single-screener, it was made into a triple in 1977. One of the screens was then torn down in 1991 and the drive-in itself closed in 1994. The property now belongs to the sheriffs department and they recently built a huge records center on the former Apache site off of Benson Highway. Many thanks to George Cohn for info.

The old Apache Drive-In Theatre marquee once advertised an evening of movies along Tucson's Benson Highway. Opened in 1955, the theater began as a large single-screen operation, offering room for approximately 1,200 cars during the years when outdoor cinemas flourished across southern Arizona.

Apache Drive-in (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ
Photo courtesy George Cohn

The property expanded to three screens in 1977, following the drive-in industry's move toward outdoor multiplexes. One screen was removed in 1991, and the remaining operation closed in 1994. Demolition followed in 1995, clearing the screen towers, projection facilities, and concession buildings from the former viewing grounds.

UPDATE: Today, the original screen towers, ramps, and classic roadside neon marquees along Benson Highway are completely gone, replaced by the county public safety and records complex. While the property now serves local government needs, fond memories of all-night marathon screenings, honking horns, and starlit movie nights keep the legacy of Tucson's Apache Drive-in alive in local roadside history. 08-26

Parker Drive-in Theatre (Gone)
Parker, AZ
Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas

Missing screen panels and an empty projection-booth foundation told the story at Parker Drive-In Theatre. By the time these views were taken, the movies had ended and the grounds had been quiet for years. The damaged screen remained the clearest landmark of the former Colorado River Valley entertainment stop.

The theater operated during the postwar drive-in era under owner C. Corneal. In June 1965, it was purchased by a group that included film producer and theater operator Robert L. Lippert, E. Van Gortel, and the Indio Company. That connected the Parker venue with operators involved in several California outdoor theaters.

Close-up of the screen tower (Gone)
Parker, AZ
Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas

The drive-in had closed by 1986. Its abandoned grounds remained visible afterward, allowing roadside visitors to trace the entrance, inspect the exposed screen framework, and locate the concrete slab where projection equipment once served the viewing field. Without the buildings and movie crowds, the screen tower became the property's defining feature.

UPDATE: The remaining Parker Drive-In structures have been removed, including the damaged screen framework. The site has been leveled and remains a vacant parcel, with no operating theater or standing screen left to identify its former use. 11-26

Here are more photos of the Parker Drive-in Theatre

The remains of the projection booth (Closed) Parker, AZ Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas	The entrance in (Closed) Parker, AZ Photo courtesy Rob Svirskas