I grew up in a drive-in town. From double features to dusk ‘til dawn movie marathons, I have lost count of the number of hours I spent in that dusty drive-in theater still operating about 20 minutes away from my hometown of Newmarket, ON.
Like video stores and phone booths, drive-in theaters across the country have slowly begun to disappear, or “go dark,” as they say. Lucky for us, there is still one operating about an hour from downtown Orlando.
The Silver Moon Drive-In theater opened on April 14, 1948 and was the first drive-in theater to open in Lakeland, FL. Admission was just 40 cents back then.
Through the years, the two-screen theater showing double features of first-run movies has continued to attract couples that love the nostalgia and romance of watching a movie from their own car. Tickets are now $5 per adult and $4 for kids 4-9.
They still have the old in-car speakers available, but most people tune-in to the movie via their car’s FM radio. The snack bar is packed with typical movie treats but you’re welcome to bring your own, which is one of the advantages of seeing a movie from your car.
If you’ve never been to a drive-in… go! It should be on everyone’s bucket list. Sure you’ll spend a little money in gas getting there, but the $5 entry tickets make that expense a little more palatable. Besides, it’s a romantic adventure and aren’t those worth veering off the beaten path for anyway?
P.S. Due to the popularity of brand-new, first-run movies, the theater strongly suggests arriving well before showtime.
