Windmill Drive-in Theatre (Gone)
Kingsburg, CA
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

The Windmill Drive-In marquee was quite a roadside find off Highway 99 between Kingsburg and Selma. Its tall lettering and sweeping arrow stood out against the open Central Valley sky, giving passing motorists plenty of notice before the entrance. Even without the original business behind it, this old sign had no trouble catching the eye. 11-10

The property was later redeveloped as a trucking yard, but fortunately the owner kept the marquee. While the old roadside operation disappeared, its sign stayed behind with another kind of traffic moving through the lot. Trucks instead of an evening crowd, but at least the landmark escaped the clearing crews.

Windmill Drive-in Theatre (Gone)
Kingsburg, CA
Photo courtesy John King

There is still a little mystery behind the Windmill name. The original photo submissions identified it as a drive-in theatre, while other roadside documentation suggests it may have advertised a drive-in restaurant. Without a confirmed operating history, the sign alone does not settle whether customers came for a movie or a burger. Either way, it belonged to the days when a big arrow could do much of the advertising.

UPDATE: The former site has been repurposed for trucking operations, and the Windmill marquee was preserved on-site during redevelopment. Its original business type and opening and closing dates remain unconfirmed. The old sign got another chance, even if its full story is still waiting to be sorted out. 09-26