Here are the places where you can still catch a movie under the stars in Florida: Ocala Drive-in
#DRIVE IN MOVIE THEATER PLUS#
There are still at least seven drive-ins operating in the Sunshine State, plus two in South Florida that are "temporarily closed."Īnd plans were announced in 2020 for the largest drive-in in the world to be built in Florida, with five screens on 72 acres in Eustis.ĭrive-in history: 71 years of double features and even deathįort Pierce: Drive-in movie night returns as new outdoor cinema on Treasure Coast New screens opened in Jacksonville, Miami and Fort Pierce during the pandemic years, even as others turned off their projectors for good. As late as 1979, there were still more than 100 open around Florida, but their numbers declined as developers snapped up the often prime real estate the theaters sat on and moviegoers turned to more comfortable indoor theaters and watching movies at home.īut drive-ins aren't dead yet. The first opened in 1938 in Miami and, by the mid-'50s, there were more than 150 in the state. Sunrise Blvd.Drive-in movie theaters have a long history in Florida.
Silver Moon Drive-in Theatre - 4100 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland, 86. Ruskin Family Drive-in Theatre - 5011 N. Here's a list of some of Florida's drive-in theaters: Ocala patrons tune in to a local FM radio station for clear movie sound. Twice in its 64-year history, its screens have gone dark, its window speakers silenced.īut each time – once in 2003, and then again in 2011 – it has been resurrected by caring owners who have spruced it up, improved the technology and found a market for the beloved drive-in tradition. The Ocala Drive-in Theatre is the Lazarus of Florida drive-in theaters. It is located about an hour west of Orlando, making it the closest drive-in to the family amusement attractions of Central Florida. The Silver Moon offers films on its two screens seven days a week, 365 days a year – even on Christmas – and usually shows first-run movies on their opening dates. The Silver Moon Drive-in Theatre, meanwhile, has kept up with the times by converting to digital technology, a step toward ensuring that this drive-in just might survive the movie industry's departure from 35-millimeter film. The theater brags that it has used the same Wisconsin cheese supplier for its pizzas for 50 years. The drive-in, which opened in 1952 with "Singin' in the Rain," sticks to tradition even at the snack bar – affordable burgers, hot dogs, popcorn and other movie treats. It promotes its family-friendly atmosphere and clean restrooms – and isn't afraid to remind patrons that it doesn't allow alcohol or rowdy behavior. Take the Ruskin Family Drive-in Theatre, for instance. They're fun, a bargain, and appeal to families. In Florida, some of those surviving are clustered around Tampa Bay, with others in South Florida.īut those who have managed to survive the industry's ebbs and flows say the drive-in appeals to patrons today for the same reasons it did at its inception. In order."Ĭhanging tastes and evolving technology have, of course, eroded the market for drive-in theaters. Times have changed since the first drive-in movie theater was installed in 1933 in Camden, N.J., and since the industry's heyday in the 1950s.Īccording to the book "Drive-In Theaters" by Kerry Segrave, the man who patented the drive-in theater concept and installed the first one got his inspiration from the Depression, when he "analyzed the market from the standpoint of what people gave up last. A whole family can enjoy a drive-in movie for the price of a couple of admissions to a regular movie theater. 
Some people might initially come for the nostalgia of it, drive-in theater operators note, but affordable prices draw them in as regular customers. Looking for a throwback night of affordable, nearby family entertainment under the stars? A handful of drive-in movie theatres in Florida still light up their big screens – and a desire to step back in time isn't the only draw.
Drive-In Movie Theaters in Florida, Retro and Affordable
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