Kane Road Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Aliquippa, PA
Photo property of Google

The Kane Road Drive-in Theatre features a marquee that's fading over time. The drive-in opened in 1954 and has a capacity for 500 cars. The last night of operation for this one was Sunday night Sept. 15, 2013. For more information, see the Cinematreasures website. Many thanks to David Hughes for update. 10-13

By 2013, the expensive switch from film to digital projection was catching up with the family-run theater. The final double feature played on September 15, 2013, and the Kane Road went dark for good.

UPDATE: The drive-in was demolished in 2015, including the big screen and fading roadside marquee. The property has since been redeveloped for housing. 08-26

Rose Bowl (Demolished)
Ashland VA
Photo courtesy Moon Mullins OX-76

The Rose Bowl Drive-In sat along old U.S. Route 1 between Ashland and Richmond, looking rather lonely with a “For Rent” sign posted out front. And no, this Rose Bowl had nothing to do with football or Pasadena. Its attractions were movies, car radios, and warm Virginia nights.

The drive-in opened on July 7, 1953, with James Stewart in Bend of the River. Built for around 400 cars, the Rose Bowl later broadcast its movie sound over a low-power AM station rather than relying only on those clunky speakers hanging from car windows.

The projector went dark in the early 1980s. The concession building and projection booth remained behind for years as overgrown roadside ruins, but the screen tower and entrance sign were already gone.

UPDATE: The last surviving Rose Bowl structures were demolished around 2017, and the remaining ramps and foundations were cleared soon afterward. No trace of the old drive-in remains today. 08-26