Shuttered Michigan drive-in theater may reopen for another season
A Monroe County, Michigan, drive-in theater that closed for good after four years in operation may be open for another season.
The Memory Lane Drive-In Theater announced on Wednesday that it could potentially open for the 2025 season.
"We have worked with a local couple from Monroe since the announcement of Memory Lane closing and they are ready to light the big screen back up again. The plan is to get the drive-in up and running for Memorial Weekend for the release of Lilo and Stitch," the owner said in a social media post. "Stay tuned for a confirmation that everything is ready for an opening day of May 23rd."
Memory Lane Drive-In, which opened in 2021, was a family-owned business located on M-125 in Frenchtown Township, on the site of the former Denniston Drive-In that closed in 1985. The selections included a mix of first-run and retro films.
A notable detail is that a screen from the former Pontiac Silverdome was repurposed as the drive-in movie screen, according to posts on its Facebook account. The venue also hosted trunk or treat events and football viewing tailgate parties.
Memory Lane's co-owner also took over the long-standing Sundance Drive-In near Toledo, Ohio, in 2024. According to its social media posts, the updates that greet movie-goers in Northwest Ohio this season include a renovated concession stand and an arcade game area.
Drive-in theaters saw their heyday in Michigan and the United States during the 1950s, with 110 such venues reportedly in the state in 1958. Drive-in movies are viewed after dark at an outdoor venue. They are shown on a large screen, surrounded by parked cars. Movie-goers use on-site speakers or listen to the audio on FM radio while seated in their vehicles or the bed of a pickup truck.
However, by 2022, there were only 11 drive-ins still operating in Michigan, including Ford Wyoming Drive-In in Dearborn and Memory Lane in Frenchtown Township, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Those numbers have continued to dwindle.
"In the last 4 years 35% of the remaining drive-ins in the United States have closed their doors forever citing a combination of multiple reasons including but not limited to poor attendance, streaming, and lack of concessions support," Memory Lane posted in its closing announcement. "The last one is key especially for drive-ins. Memory Lane has suffered the same fate for the same reasons."
"We will continue to operate the Sundance Drive-In located in Oregon, Ohio with hopes that it can survive given its 76 year history and proximity to a larger population. Renovations to the drive-in have already been started with a newly remodeled concessions stand and many more updates are planned for the future. If you love going to a drive-in please visit us and help keep this part of American history alive."
NOTE: The video above previously aired on April 23, 2025.
