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The possibilities for Self drive USA is abundant! North America offers it all; and what better way to discover it all than at your own pace, in your own vehicle?
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Drive-In Theaters |
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There was once over 130 Drive-In's in Michigan back in their heyday. The first Drive-In was the East-Side,
which opened in 1938 in Harper Woods, only 4 years after Richard Hollingshead invented it. Many more were built in the ensuing years, particularly in the post-war
years up thru the mid to late 70's. It was great to check out the movie listings in the paper and see as many drive-ins listed as indoor Theaters!
The following is a somewhat accurate listing of how many there were by year.
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| Drive-In Theaters By Year |
| 1938 | 1948 | 1956 | 1959 | 1965 | 1968 | 1972 | 1977 | 1988 | 1990 | 1992 | 1996 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | | 1 | 12 | 111 | 127 | 132 | 131 | 137 | 126 | 62 | 29 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
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As you can see, the 1980's were devastating for Drive-Ins. Rising property values and declining
attendance made closing them and selling them off more attractive to the owners than keeping them open.
The list
below represents all of the drive-ins which can be filtered by county and sorted by clicking the little arrows in the heading.
Click on the name in the grid and it will take you to the detail page.
Click here for a complete listing the Drive-Ins which remain open.
Click here for our drive-in Theater message board.
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