Have you ever been to a drive-in movie theater? They’re hard to find these days, but can be such a fun summertime activity.

The first time we went to a drive-in was the summer Jeremy and I were engaged. We went to the Pioneer Twin Theater just south of Provo with several of my siblings who lived in the area. We all had a great time, but never found the time to go again. It’s since closed and was a flea market for a while, but now has been torn down and houses built over half the lot.

The second time we went to a drive-in theater was a few years later. We were living near Monterey, CA and had heard about a drive-in theater up the coast in Santa Cruz, so we made the drive to the Skyview Drive-In in Santa Cruz. Sadly, it is also closed.

Most recently we’ve been going to a drive-in theater outside Richmond, VA in Goochland. Unlike the other drive-ins we’ve been to, this is not an old theater still hanging in there. The Goochland Drive-in Theater was built in 2009 to provide an opportunity for affordable, nostalgic family fun. And they’re doing well. In fact, this year they’ve added a second screen. The second screen has some parking spots, but it also has a grassy area with in-ground speakers for those who want to sit on the ground and watch the movie. We haven’t tried the new screen yet, but it sounds super cool!

The original drive-in theaters had speakers on poles next to the cars or that hung on the window of your car. These days many have switched to broadcasting on a local, limited-range radio station that you listen to via your vehicle radio.

Over the last 8 years we’ve gone to the drive-in theater when the kiddos have been a variety of ages. Under 1 was ok, as was older than 4 or 5. Those in-between years can be iffy, though. River (age 4.5) did pretty well on our last visit, but we won’t be taking Ocean back for a year or two.  At two and a half Ocean had a hard time sitting quietly and not throwing a fit about staying in his seat. This would be a problem in a regular theater as well, but I think we’ve only taken the boys to a regular theater once, so it’s not one we encounter too often. Obviously, your experience will vary since everyone’s kids are different.

8 Reasons We Love Drive-In Movie Theaters

1. Cheaper prices

Some will charge by the carload, others by the person, but either way, it’s cheaper than regular theaters. Some drive-ins show older movies, but a lot of them are now showing first run movies. At the Goochland theater we pay per person (children are discounted) and get a double feature of first run movies.

2. Double features

Two movies for the price of one = double the fun. Late nights, but still fun.

3. Cheaper refreshments

This is relative of course, but we’ve found that refreshments aren’t as expensive as at a regular theater. Our theater even sells 25 cent Tootsie Pops.

4. A playground for kiddos

A lot of older theaters had playgrounds up in front of the screen. The Goochland theater has a fenced-in playground between the concession stand and the parking area. This makes it super convenient to keep an eye on the kiddos while ordering dinner, and the kiddos can run around and get their energy out while waiting for dusk to fall and the movie to start.

5. Separation from your neighbor

Call me picky, but I don’t like sitting right next to some stranger in a dark room. Watching from our vehicle is so much nicer.

6. Fresh air + movie time

No stuffy (or overly-air conditioned) movie theaters. We don’t even mind if it rains while we’re watching the movie (it’s happened a couple times), since we always sit in our vehicle to watch the movie. Some people bring lawn chairs and sit next to their vehicles or in the bed of their truck.

7. Good, old fashioned family fun

Fun for date night or family movie night.

8. Vacation bucket list

If you’re going somewhere on vacation or road tripping, google around see if there’s a drive-in theater in your area. This site has an archive of drive-in theaters for each state, both those that are open and those that have closed. This is especially helpful if you don’t live near one but want to have the drive-in theater experience. Last summer we almost went to the Spud Drive In in Driggs, ID (we drove by it a couple times while out on our adventures), but we couldn’t quite fit it in our schedule.

Did you know you can rent an RV or travel trailer to go on a road trip that takes you near a drive-in theater? Skip the big corporate rental companies and rent from someone local. Look on RVShare or Outdoorsy to find a rig that will work for you.