Guest Author - Brenda Potter Reynolds

My brother and sister in law recently took their two boys to the drive-in movies. The younger one couldn’t understand how they were going to see a movie from the car.

I think it’s a shame that there aren’t as many drive-in theaters left. When we were kids, we’d pile into the car and drive to Watertown to the drive-in. Mom and dad had five kids at the time, and at one-price-per-car, it was a bargain! As hard-working young farmers, it was the only way to take your family to the movies.

Today, the Watertown drive-in is no longer there. Thankfully, there are some throughout New York State, and I’ve compiled a list of those still in operation. If you know of any I’ve missed, please email me and I’ll add it to our list. Be aware that many drive-ins now seem to charge per person instead of per vehicle.

Here they are, in no particular order:

56 Auto Drive-in, Massena
2 miles south of Massena, NY on Route 56
Phone: (315) 764-1250
56 Auto Drive-in

Valley Brook Drive-in
Burdicks Crossing,
Lyons Falls
Phone: (315) 348-6315 or
(315) 493-3456

Bay Drive-in Theatre
Alexandria Bay
Phone: (315) 482-3874
Bay Drive-in

West Rome Drive-in
Rome
Phone: (315)336-9440
West Rome Drive-in

Midway Drive-in Theater
West River Road
(State Route 48)
Between Fulton and Oswego
Minetto, NY
Oswego Phone: (315) 343-0211
Fulton Phone: (315) 593-0699
Midway Drive-in



Buffalo Drive-in
3085 Harlem Rd.
Buffalo, NY 14225
Phone: (716) 893-0406

Finger Lakes Drive-in
Route 5
Auburn, NY 13021
Phone: (315) 252-3969

Ozoner 29 Twin Route 29
Broadalbin, NY 12025
Phone: (518) 883-5735
Ozoner 29 Twin

El Rancho Drive-In 6070 SR 5
Palatine Bridge, NY 13428
Phone: (518) 673-3515
El Rancho Drive-in

Overlook Drive-in Overlook Rd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
Phone: (845) 452-3445
Overlook Drive-in

Glen Drive-In Lake George Rd.
Glens Falls, NY 12804
Phone: (518) 792-0023

Vintage Drive-in Theater
Rt 15, North Of Rt 20
East Avon, NY (585) 226-9290
Vintage Drive-in Theater

The Sunset 120 Telegraph Rd.
Middleport, NY 14105
Phone: (716) 735-7372
The Sunset

Transit Drive-in 6655 Transit Rd.
Lockport, NY 14094
Phone: (716) 625-8697
Transit Drive-in


Warwick Drive-In Theater
5 Warwick Turnpike
Warwick, New York 10990
(845) 986-4440

Warwick Drive-In Theater.

Update: Thanks to everyone who sent in more drive-in theaters for this list! Here they are:

Fair Oaks Drive-in
Route 17M
Middletown, NY
845-361-5774

Fair Oaks Drive-in

Greenville Drive-in
Highway 32
Greenville, NY

Greenville Drive-in

If you'd like to read more about Drive-In Movie Theaters, check out the book Cinema Under The Stars or The American Drive-In Movie Theater .

After Sunset: The Life and Times of the Drive-In Movie Theater is a sentimental look back at drive-ins. Note: According to Amazon, US and Canada only. This VHS will probably NOT be viewable in other countries.