101 Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Ventura, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
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.
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
Simi Valley, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Near the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the Simi Valley Drive-In once offered an evening’s entertainment beneath the hills. Its big screen rose above grounds that later became a swap meet, while housing development around the property hinted that the old theatre’s days might be numbered.
Opened on August 7, 1963, the single-screen drive-in accommodated about 500 cars. It was a neighborhood-sized outdoor movie house, giving local families a place to settle in for a picture show without leaving the valley.
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
Simi Valley, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The hillside behind the screen added a setting quite different from the busy commercial roads surrounding many Southern California drive-ins. Once darkness arrived, the movie became the main attraction, with the family automobile supplying the seats.
The grounds also hosted a popular Sunday swap meet. Shoppers could browse produce, clothing, and electronics where moviegoers parked at night. In its later years, the market helped keep the property busy even as regular screenings wound down.
Movies ended in summer 1997, but the swap meet continued for several more years. The original photograph captured that uncertain period, when the theatre still had activity around it but an increasingly residential neighborhood was closing in.
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
Simi Valley, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Unfortunately, the concern about its future proved justified. Demolition arrived in early 2001, removing the screen and remaining theatre buildings. Homes replaced the grounds, and another Ventura County drive-in became a memory rather than a weekend destination.
UPDATE : The Simi Drive-in met its fate with a bulldozer in early 2001.
UPDATE: Simi Valley Drive-In stopped showing movies in summer 1997 and was demolished in early 2001. Its former Tierra Rejada Road property was redeveloped for housing. The screen and signage are gone. 10-26
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
Simi Valley Drive-in (Demolished)
