Pittsburgh-area drive-in theater still going strong 75 years later

CBS News Pittsburgh

BROWNSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A Fayette County drive-in theater is still going strong, opening this weekend ahead of its 75th anniversary.

Fayette County says Brownsville Drive-In is one of only about 300 drive-in theaters left in the country. It opened in 1949 and will celebrate its 75th anniversary in April. 

While other drive-in theaters have struggled, with many closing years ago, Fayette County says attendance hasn't been a problem for Brownsville Drive-In.

During a rough patch about 10 years ago, manager Charlie Perkins says drive-ins couldn't get films unless they brought a new projector. He said Brownsville chose to invest in new projectors, and now they can get movies on a hard drive. 

With the exception of this weekend, the drive-in will be open Friday through Sunday until summer, when it'll open Friday through Tuesday. The drive-in will be closed for Easter. 

For opening weekend, the theater will show "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire," "Madame Web," "Kung Fu Panda 4," "Migration," "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" and "Wonka." The box office opens at 6 p.m. and movies begin at dusk. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 4 to 9. Kids 3 and younger are free. 

To celebrate the opening weekend, the Pittsburgh-based fan group Steel City Ghostbusters will make an appearance. The drive-in also plans on hosting several wrestling shows, and other special events are in the works. 

If you plan on going, bring cash. The drive-in is cash only. 

Fayette County actually has two drive-in theaters. Comet Drive-In Theater in Dunbar hasn't announced its opening date yet. 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.