Drive-in theaters, once an entertainment staple, have survived into the digital age

By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer

REGION – Massachusetts has the distinct honor of having opened one of America’s first five drive-in theaters, the Weymouth Drive-In, which opened in 1936 but was demolished in 1964. As a matter of fact, four of America’s first 15 drive-ins were also located in the state. Now, a handful of theaters remain operational and that includes the Northfield Drive-In, Wellfleet Drive-In on the Cape and the Mendon Twin Drive-In, which hosts special events throughout the year.

Dennis drive-in’s special feature
Perhaps one of the most unusual of these was the Cape’s Dennis Drive-In Fly-In Theater where airplanes would land on the back grassy area of the field and line up behind the cars. The drive-in was built in 1949 on 70 acres with enough room for 1000 cars and survived until 1984. Within two weeks of opening, the owners discussed enlarging the strip to make it accessible for helicopters.

The refreshment stand brought in additional revenue and the Dennis reportedly had a clubhouse and dance pavilion as well. Also, there was a rooftop garden area for movie viewing and free pony rides were offered by local resident Charlie Hallet. 

In the comment section of the website Cinema Treasures, Irvinnh recalled, “My family used to vacation in Dennis during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. We used to visit the Dennis Drive-in very often. I can remember going there in my pajamas. I visited the site in 1992 and was saddened to find that it was now an industrial park. All that was left were the foundations for the box office and projection building/snack bar and a few speaker poles. On the bright side that visit piqued my interest in drive-ins again, causing me to check out the Milford Drive-in in Milford New Hampshire near where I now live. About 2 weeks later we took my two-year old to the drive-in and we’ve been doing that 2 or 3 times a year ever since. So, a family tradition begun at the Dennis Drive-in continues until today.”

Yarmouth’s drive-in on Route 28 faced a contentious beginning. At a hearing in 1956, two owners of an adjoining property voiced concerns about potential traffic complaints and claimed the outdoor movie theater would be injurious and offensive. The theater owners responded in the Register that “morals aren’t made in open air theaters, they’re made at home,” and pointed out that neither Dennis nor Hyannis had accidents caused by their theaters.

A bounty of drive-ins past and present
South Shore Plaza Twin Drive-In in Braintree was one of the first on the East Coast to have two-screens and the Neponset Drive-In in Dorchester was a huge hangout spot for teens from the 1950s to the 1970s. The city of Boston later turned the latter into the Pope John Paul II Park. Blue Hills Drive-In closed in 1984 with “Police Academy” and “Risky Business” being the last featured films. Avon Drive-In in Avon opened in 1950 and was demolished in 1993 to build a Walmart store. 

Advertised as Cape Cod’s premiere family destination, Wellfleet Drive-In in Wellfleet is practically a shrine to a bygone era. This entertainment business opened in 1957, and the original speaker boxes still sit on the poles. In 1961, the owners opened a mini-golf course to occupy customers’ time while waiting to watch a movie. The flea market made its debut in 1974 with vendors traveling from far and wide selling merchandise you might not find elsewhere and an indoor cinema complex was added in 1986. For those seeking to bask in some delicious ice cream bliss, their dairy bar is just the place. Aside from ice cream, the bar also serves frozen yogurt, milkshakes and root beer floats.

Northfield Drive-In has one truly distinguishing feature, in addition to being one of the oldest drive-ins in the region still operating, having opened in 1948. It is believed to be the only drive-in in the country straddling two states (Massachusetts and New Hampshire). It’s also been featured in a movie itself, when a scene from “The Cider House Rules” was filmed there in 1998.

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