The era of drive-in theaters was ending when I was a kid way back in the 1970s. Yet even 50 years later, many drive-ins keep hanging on. The ones that survive have either had to spend enormous sums to convert to digital, or show only older films that they can still get on film.
The Cinema 67 Drive-In is all digital. You’ll find it on State Road 67 between Gosport and Spencer, in Owen County, Indiana. It opened in 1957 as the Records Drive-In, but changed to its present name in 1973. This single-screen theater broadcasts the sound for its movies over FM radio; just tune to 93.5.
All of the trappings of a period drive-in are here, including the little ticket booth as you drive in.
If you look closely at the sign, which could use a new coat of paint, you can see holes for neon tubing. I’m betting that this sign was repurposed from the original Records Drive-In sign. On the gray wall is a small tribute to Jon Walker, who owned the theater from 1973 until his death in 2017. He purchased it from a couple who tried to show porn on its screen, which can be seen from the highway. You can imagine how people in this largely rural county reacted to that! Read more about this theater’s history here.
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