A slice of Americana, drive-in movie theaters hold memories for people and are creating new ones for families across Ohio. The availability of home entertainment and streaming has reduced the number from a peak of 4,063 in the 1950s (Smithsonian) to just over 400 drive-ins today. But Ohio has a rich drive-in theater community with 23 operating theaters. Not infrequently, international visitors come to Ohio drive-ins for a genuine American experience.
According to Donna and Rod Saunders, owners of the Field of Dreams Drive-In Theatre in Liberty Center and the Van-Del Drive-In Theatre in Middle Point, new generations of families are discovering the joy of watching films under the stars.
How did you get into owning drive-in movie theaters?
The nearest drive-in to the Saunders had been the Star Drive-in Theatre, which closed in the mid-1990s, challenged by the intrusion of ambient light and the owner’s desire to retire. “My husband and I watched movies there as children, and we took our kids there. Every time we drove past the abandoned site, I thought, someone ought to take that drive-in screen and do something with it,” Donna said. “Finally, my husband casually mentioned, ‘You enjoy researching projects and writing business plans. Why not us?’”
“We took our own money and built the Field of Dreams Drive-in Theatre in the field behind our house in 2007,” Rod said. “Three years later we added a second screen. Since then, we purchased a second drive-in theater, the two-screen Van-Del Drive-in. The historic drive-in was built in 1948.”
Are drive-in theaters your passion?
“It wasn’t always but it is now because there are so few of them left,” Donna said. “We lost quite a few in 2013 when the studios required conversion to digital projection.”
Owners of most drive-in theaters are small business owners who live and breathe their businesses. For many, it is a generational family business. “Many proprietors own them to show the films they love. They recite lines and list complete casts from their favorite films. We try to help each other out and relate more as colleagues than competitors,” Rod noted.
What has changed in the world of drive-in theaters?
- “The old 35mm film projectors required 17 steps to take the film from start to finish,” Donna said. “We spent 2.5 to 3 hours putting up and tearing down movies. Now we download the films from the studios by satellite. After we license the movie, we receive an electronic key by email. We save it to a thumb drive and plug that into the computerized projector and off we go.”
- While computerization of processes has streamlined even the reporting of ticket sales, it does come with a cost. “Digital projectors run about $75,000 rather than $15,000 for the old 35mm projectors. The new projectors last about 10 years while the old 35mm projectors were mechanical and would last for 35 or more years,” Rod said.
- Also, those old in-car speakers are gone. The sound is now transmitted through the automobile or boom box via an FM transmitter. With everyone tuned to the same frequency it comes across as stereo.
- Almost every drive-in in Ohio shows first-run movies, and owners do the best with family-friendly films. Some drive-ins uniquely appeal to clientele interested in horror. Retro films are also popular if the studios cooperate in licensing them.
Why should a family or anyone else attend a drive-in movie?
The economics of the drive-in experience are favorable. Moviegoers see two shows for the price of one every night during the warm summer months. At the Saunders’ theaters, the carload price for a family is maxed out at $25.
Drive-in theaters are no longer solely about seeing a movie. There is the anticipation of setting up your camping area before it gets dark (hardly anyone sits in the car anymore). Kids in their jammies are playing cards, tossing footballs and flying Frisbees with their parents. Neighbors are holding potluck picnics with cars lined up in a row. The concession stand goes beyond popcorn and soda to include family-friendly meals – pizza, burgers, French fries, hot dogs and more.
It is an event, not just a movie. “We open at 7:30 p.m., and for two hours before it gets dark, we see families spending time together. Our Field of Dreams Drive-In Theatre offers complimentary miniature golf, a sand volleyball court, corn hole and more. Kids are not on their devices but enjoying family time outdoors together,” Rod said.
What are your fondest memories since owning the drive-ins?
“I remember an angry pre-teen girl in the back of a pickup truck who didn’t want to be at the drive-in. She told me that she thought it was stupid to watch a movie outside. The very next night, the same truck pulled in and I made a beeline for it. The same young girl was in the truck but now with three of her friends. I asked her if she was the same little girl I saw very mad to be here the previous night. She replied, ‘I was wrong. I had so much fun I decided to come back with my friends.’”
Rod remembers the night his daughter gave him gate receipts including $13.53 in cash. “I asked her how she came up with the odd amount. She told me a family of four drove in and a little girl handed her the money, noting that she wanted to take her mom and dad to the movies. My daughter told me, ‘Dad, that paid for everything.’”
Treat yourself to the drive-in theater experience
On a warm summer Friday or Saturday night, it’s 7:45 p.m. and the field starts to fill up. You watch teenagers throwing a football for 50 yards while young ones are learning how to toss a Frisbee with their mom or dad. Families are relaxed in a safe environment. “We are now starting to see a second generation of families,” Rod said. “I hear parents at the concession stand tell their kids, ‘I came here when I was little, and these are the same people who served me popcorn.’”
Drive-in owner Donna Saunders serves as Membership Secretary for the national United Drive-In Theater Owners Association (UDITOA).
Drive-In History
According to United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association statistics as of October 22, 2024, New York leads the country with 47 screens and 27 drive-ins, followed by Pennsylvania with 41 screens and 25 drive-ins, and then Ohio with 38 screens and 23 drive-ins.
Industry resources list the high figure for drive-ins as 4,063 in 1958. The years between 1978 and 1988 were particularly hard on the industry, with over 1,000 screen closings. Closings were commonly due to land value increases that made selling for redevelopment attractive financially, aging owners who wished to retire, difficulty obtaining first-run productions during the time period, and increasing entertainment options (video, multiplexes, other activities).
But by the 1990s, new drive-ins were built, and reopenings were becoming more common. The numbers have leveled off from their rapid drop in the 1980s. Some owners who want to retire now are seeking someone to purchase it to keep it as a drive-in instead of selling the property for development. Though drive-in numbers will never be as high as they were in the 1950s, the industry seems to be on an upswing.