Ventura, CA - The 101 Drive-in Theatre was a Ventura County favorite open air theatre for decades. Located right off of the 101 Freeway, the appropriately named 101 Drive-in became Ventura County's last operating outdoor theatre when the Simi Valley Drive-in did not open in the Summer of 1997.

The 101 Drive-in marquee advertising the swap meet
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Along Telephone Road in Ventura, the big screens at the 101 Drive-In once gave motorists something to look forward to after sunset. Pull through the entrance, find a parking spot, and settle in for the evening’s pictures. The family automobile supplied the seats, although the concession stand usually supplied a few things the car hadn’t brought along.

The theatre opened on March 16, 1948, when the surrounding landscape still had considerably more agriculture than shopping centers. Its name referred to historic Highway 101, before the modern freeway became a familiar neighbor. This was an outdoor movie house built for a Ventura that looked quite different from the one passing motorists see today.

The 101 Drive-in was also run as a swap meet in its later years, much like most of the ozoners that remain today. The marquee at the left shows that the swap meet business was open every weekend.

A close-up of one of the ticket booths
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Originally operated by the 101 Theatres Corporation, the venue began with a single screen and room for approximately 800 cars. That was plenty of company for an evening under the stars. Rows of automobiles faced the same picture, with individual window speakers bringing the dialogue close enough to hear without disturbing the entire neighborhood.

Those speakers were part of the experience. Hang one on the window, adjust the volume, and hope the sound came through clearly. Remembering to remove it before leaving was another useful part of the routine. A good movie didn’t need to end with a piece of theatre equipment following the car toward the exit.

The 101 screen tower
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The 101 later became part of Pacific Theatres, joining the circuit that operated so many Southern California drive-ins. For local families, it offered an outing where the kids could come along and everyone could get reasonably comfortable. Arriving before dark left time to find a preferred space and visit the snack bar before the screen took over.

Two more screens were added on December 21, 1973, turning the property into a three-screen drive-in. The expansion brought additional programs and a little more discussion about which movie to see. The setting stayed familiar, with the evening air outside and the dashboard just below the picture.

The projection booth
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The grounds also became home to a popular swap meet. During daylight hours, bargain hunters browsed merchandise where moviegoers parked at night. A visit could involve looking for something useful, something collectible, or something that would require explaining once it reached home.

In its later years, the market and the movies depended on each other. City rules prohibited operating the property solely as a swap meet, so summer screenings helped keep the daytime business going. The theatre’s seasonal schedule carried on, preserving a little outdoor moviegoing while the grounds remained busy with shoppers.

The entrance to the ticket booths
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

When the Simi Valley Drive-In closed in 1997, the 101 became Ventura County’s last operating drive-in. The distinction made its remaining run especially meaningful. A county that had once offered several outdoor picture shows was down to one final place to watch from behind the windshield.

The projectors went quiet on September 17, 1998. After half a century, the familiar evening gathering ended. The screens remained standing, but there were no more regular programs drawing cars through the entrance.

The snack bar
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

For nearly three years, the quiet property still carried the outline of the old theatre. Passing motorists could see the towers and remember earlier visits, even as the grounds waited for their next use. A standing screen can make a closed drive-in look as though it might have one more show left.

Unfortunately, like many of the drive-ins that eventually closed in the last couple of decades, the 101 Drive-in was unable to compete with the indoor theatre multiplexes with stadium seating and the convenience of home theater systems. It also didn't hurt that the drive-in was sitting on prime real estate near a major freeway.

101 Drive-in Screen Tower
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Unfortunately, demolition equipment arrived instead. In early August 2001, the screen towers, projection buildings, and entrance structures were cleared away. The roadside view changed, and the theatre joined the growing list of outdoor movie houses remembered through photographs.

The 101 Drive-in made it to the millennium but not much past it. This drive-in movie theatre was demolished in early August, 2001. Ventura County drive-in theatres are all now just a memory.

Screen tower
Ventura, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Shopping development eventually replaced the old grounds. Cars still arrive for an outing, though the destination no longer involves waiting for darkness or checking the evening’s double feature. The photograph preserves the earlier attraction, when Telephone Road offered a turn into the movies beneath the Ventura sky.

UPDATE: For the past few years, the 101 Drive-in operated seasonally because the city would not allow "swap meet only" business on the property. Many thanks to drive-in sleuth Warren Meyers for update.

UPDATE: Well, like many of its fellow ozoners, the 101 Drive-in Theatre in Ventura was demolished sometime in early August, 2001. Many thanks to Jeff Babb for September update on the 101's fate. 09-01

UPDATE: The 101 Drive-In closed on September 17, 1998, and was demolished in early August 2001. Its former grounds on East Telephone Road were redeveloped as a shopping center. The screens, theatre buildings, and roadside signage are gone. 10-26

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