Winslow, AZ - Off the I-40 and historic Route 66 corridor on the far west end of Winslow, Arizona, stands an old remnant of an entertainment past. In this case, that entertainment belongs to the Tonto Drive-In Theater, a classic open-air desert "ozoner" that once welcomed carloads of moviegoers under the wide-open northern Arizona sky.
Tonto Drive-in Theatre (1998)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here's a movie stop from the years when Route 66 brought travelers straight through Winslow. Tonto Drive-In Theatrestood on the west side of town, offering an outdoor alternative to downtown's indoor cinemas. Its screen tower and roadside marquee became familiar features along the highway, advertising an evening of entertainment without leaving the car.
The Tonto began operating in the early 1950s. Newspaper accounts place construction underway in 1951, and advertisements confirm screenings by 1952. The single-screen theater accommodated approximately 300 cars and was associated with the Harry Nace theater circuit. In 1982, it was included in a sale of several theaters to Blair and Reid Properties of Phoenix.
Tonto screen tower next to the rail track (1998)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Regular screenings ended by the early 1990s, although the property briefly attracted another kind of movie activity. Local newspaper coverage reported filming for Natural Born Killers at the old Tonto in 1993. The abandoned grounds later became a roadside photography stop, with the weathered screen standing near the railroad tracks and the entrance sign continuing to advertise a theater that no longer showed pictures.
UPDATE : The Tonto was operated by Nance and had a capacity of 300
cars. Many thanks to Andy Callahan for update.
UPDATE : The screen and ticket booth have both been razed and are now just
a memory. At this point, just the marquee remains, but for how long?
The screen tower at the Tonto was removed around 2005
The ticket booth (1998) was demolished in the 2000s
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
UPDATE: The old marquee still stands as of 2020. The location is now the site of an Arizona Department of Transportation facility. 11-20
UPDATE: Today, the original screen and theater buildings are completely gone, and the cleared parcel has been repurposed for an Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) maintenance facility and yard. Amazingly, the weathered, sun-bleached original metal marquee sign still survives out front, standing alone in the arid field along West 3rd Street as an enduring, solitary monument to Winslow's Route 66 drive-in heyday. 08-26
Former ticket booth (1998)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Tonto Drive-in Theatre (1998)
Winslow, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Tonto Drive-in Theatre (1998)
Tonto screen tower next to the rail track (1998)
The ticket booth (1998) was demolished in the 2000s
