Wyoming Used To Have A Lot Of Drive-In Movie Theaters

Last weekend, while driving through Nebraska with some friends, we saw an old drive-in movie theater. My mind raced back to when I was a kid and the couple of times I went to one.

Wyoming used to have dozens of drive-in movie theaters across the state during the height of the outdoor cinema boom in the 1950s and 1960s. So where did they all go? Can we still see any evedence of them?

Cory Drive-in
Buffalo: Sunset Drive-in
Casper: Mile Hi Drive-In (later known as the Terrace Drive-In)
Cheyenne: Motor Vu Drive-In (later the Starlight Drive-In)
Cody: West Drive-In
Douglas: Star Drive-In
Jackson: Aspen Drive-In
Lander: Diane Drive-In
Laramie: Skyline Drive-In
Newcastle: Wyoming Drive-In
Riverton: Knight Drive-In and West Drive-In
Rock Springs: Motor Vue Drive-In
Sheridan: Skyline Drive-In
Sundance: Sundance Drive-In
Thermopolis: Rio Drive-In
Torrington: Hilltop Karvue Drive-In and West Drive-In
Upton: Upton Drive-In

There is still one drive-in movie theater operating in Wyoming. It's seasonal. But it is still out there.

The American Dream Drive-In, located in Powell, WY: This single remaining retro drive-in first opened in 1949 (originally as Paul's Drive-In) and continues to run seasonal weekend movie screenings during the summer months. Have a look at their Facebook page; it's fun to follow.

The American drive-in theater began when Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. patented the concept in May 1933 and opened the first location in New Jersey on June 6, 1933, designed to let families enjoy movies without worrying about noisy children or uncomfortable seating.

It's not always about sitting in the car. Some people pull out lawn chairs and sit in front of their cars. Some people park their pickup trucks backwards and make a small living room out of their bed.

Ah, the good-ol-days.