From the 1950s through the 1990s, there were up to seventy drive-in theaters operating at any given time across the State of Oregon but times changes and thanks to the Internet and technological advancements in modern cinema, drive-in theaters quickly became a thing of the past.
Fast forward to March 2020 and most movie theaters chains are shutting down to thwart the spread of coronavirus. This shortage of movie theaters has left many people without a way to watch the latest movies and this has led to a temporary “rebirth” of drive-in theaters.
What’s great about drive-in theaters is that you can still enjoy a new movie while nestled securely in the comfort of your vehicle. Most drive-ins also offer snack bars where you can get typical movie theater foods and there are also bathrooms as well.
How Many Drive-In Theaters Are There in Oregon?
As of March 2020, Oregon sadly only has three drive-in movie theaters left but the good news is that if you’re hungry to see a movie on the big screen there are places to go for your viewing pleasure.
La Grande Drive-in
404 20th St
La Grande, OR 97850
The La Grande Drive-in is yet another example of a “MoPed” cinema operation which is co-locating a drive-in and a walk-in cinema under the same owners…more about La Grande Drive-in
M&F Drive-in
84322 Highway 11
Milton-Freewater, OR 97862
Four miles south of the state line up in the northeast corner of Oregon, the M&F Drive-in has been operating as a single screen drive-in since opening…more about M&F Drive-in
99W Drive-in
3110 Portland Rd
Newberg, OR 97132
The 99W Drive-in is a solo screen drive-in that has been operating since opening in 1953. They screen double features seasonally on the weekends only…more about 99W Drive-in
Hi-Way Haven RV Park
609 Fort Mckay Rd
Sutherlin, OR 97479
The Hi-Way Haven RV Park is an RV park located in Sutherlin, Oregon. The RV Park is built upon the grounds of the old Cloverfield Drive-in. …more about Hi-Way Haven RV Park
Could we see more drive-ins re-open in Oregon? The answer to that question is too soon to tell but for the meantime why not go enjoy a drive-in movie while you can and you might want to take your kids with you so that you can show them a piece of America’s past that may not be around much longer.
Even though there are just four drive-ins open in Oregon, the good news is that there is a wide variety of outdoor movie events that help in cities across Oregon every year.
Once coronavirus is over, I’m sure we can expect to see more outdoor movie nights in parks across the PDX area in summers to come.
[instagram-feed]