The Drive-In Theatre

I'm old enough to remember the Drive-In, but too old to remember many of the details. It must have been the late 50's and early 60's that I remember the most. One thing I remember is the petting zoo they had there. Dad & I went to see the animals before the start of the movie and I held one of the white rabbits. I'm sure there were other animals but the rabbit is all I remember. (I also remember it was right after my "accident" on the merry-go-round at Lincoln School....but that's another story.)

On hot summer nights my folks and us kids, usually 4-6 of us, would pile into Dad's '60 Chevy station wagon. It had fins on the back but don't ask me what model it was. We'd drive back and forth through the rows of speakers, until Dad found the right one. Sometimes we had to move because the speaker wasn't working. If the folks were agreeable they would let us ride the ponies. Remember those? Round and round we went at the entrance to the drive-in.

There was a concession stand at the drive-in that sold the regular types of food; hotdogs, sodas, popcorn, etc. Mom always made popcorn at home, in the cast-iron skillet, and put it in a bag. That was our treat for the movies. Before the movie started us kids would play on the swings in front of the screen.

Mom put blankets and pillows in the back of the station wagon and we put the back seat down. I can't remember many of the movies I saw there but the "tinney" sound of the speakers, Mom's voice, the popcorn and stars are what stays with me.

Another screen was added to the drive-in later. One night, while "The Exorcist" was playing on one screen, the other was hit by lightening. Ummm.. It wasn't long after that the drive-in began it's swan song. Slowly time and mother nature reclaimed to land. The screen was removed and the land stood vacant for a number of years. Now the land is filled with Kohls, TJ Maxx, HyVee and others.

Kearney is home to one of the remaining drive-in theatres. Maybe I'll take the grandkids there sometime. Something tells me I'd hear quite a few "I'm bored" coming from the back seat. These kids are used to tv, computers and video games. Watching a movie from the confines of a car might be too much to ask. :)

Namárië