In the 50s and 60s, a drive-in theater was a popular venue to watch a movie on the big screen, grab a burger or enjoy a date night. With over 4,000 drive-in theaters dotting the nation, these entertainment enterprises became an American classic.
In recent years, however, drive-ins across the nation have become a declining business with more closings each year, especially in Ohio. Ohio once hosted one of the first 10 drive-in theaters in America, The Starlight Auto Theatre in Akron, which opened June of 1937. Within ten years, Ohio had more than 80 drive-ins and by the late 60s there were over 200 drive-in theaters in operation. Sadly, in the years since Ohio has witnessed a decline of 80% in the number of drive-ins, according to driveinmovie.com.
What were once popular and budding sites for American entertainment, drive-ins are now rare finds which can often be found sitting deserted and forgotten on the side of the road. Owners and operators of these “open-air theaters” face a difficult set of obstacles in trying to gain a profit. Drive-ins require a large amount of land in order to run properly which is often hard to find. Ideally, the land must drain well and be sloped so people do not block each other’s view. It also must be located close enough to a metropolitan area for customers, but not so close that city lights and traffic interrupt the show. In Ohio, where the winters are brutal, the drive-in must be able to shut down completely for half the year. In an effort to stay afloat, some drive-ins hosted flea markets and even showed XXX rated movies to survive in the late 70s early 80s.
However, not all drive-ins are sinking. Locally, Magic City Drive-In in Barberton, Blue Sky Drive-In in Wadsworth and Midway Twin Drive-In in Ravenna stand as the few remaining drive-ins in the area. These drive-ins continue to attract customers and show special“Features” every weekend. Midway Twin Drive-In is currently showing the popular movies Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Bad Teacher and 30 Minutes or Less. Many Hoban students, like junior Megan Bennett, still enjoy going to these theaters despite the declining business.
“I love going to drive-ins because they are much more fun than regular movie theaters. I hope the ones still standing remain in business and I encourage people to go!”