What Happened To Idaho’s Celebrated Drive-In Movie Theaters?

There is nothing like a drive-in movie theater. Today, they're hard to come by, but back then, they were everywhere! The Treasure Valley and the Magic Valley each had several, as did the places in between.

While most are gone now, each has an interesting and unique story. The community sued one for being too loud. Another was closed for playing porn visible to traffic. Some have lasted more than 60 years, while one lasted just four.

As people decided that picture quality and sound were more important, theaters started moving indoors and into shopping malls. Gone were the days of making out in the car or letting your friends pile into the trunk until you got through the gate.

Theaters today are dealing with attendance issues for new reasons like streaming and the cost of concessions. They have had to come up with new ways to attract viewers with ridiculous-sized screens or moving chairs to avoid the fate of the drive-in.

Those drive-in theaters of yesteryear are now houses, churches, fast food restaurants, or hardware stores. You probably drive by one every day and have no idea. We thought it would be fun to see what these theaters look like today.