pennsauken drive in theatre

History:

The Pennsauken Drive-In Theatre opened between 1965-1967 (historic aerials do not have the drive-in shown in 1965, but it is there for 1967). Built by the Fox family of Fox Theatre Company out of Philadelphia, the same company that also built the Bridgeton DI, Wildwood DI, Super 130 DI, among a few in Pennsylvania as well.

Budco, another big name in theaters at the time, managed the Pennsauken Drive-In. In 1977, the state sued Budco for showing murder and nudity on screen (which could be seen from the highway).

As with many other drive-ins, it has been difficult to locate the exact year the Pennsauken DI stopped operating. News clippings show that the theatre was still running in 1980. However, a January 8, 1987 article from philly.com shows that AMC was planning on building an indoor cinema on the site, indicating the drive-in had been closed.

My Visit – 1/21/13

The Pennsauken Drive-In Theatre is one of the former drive-ins that you can see today – very easily! The screen and lot are wide-open and can be seen while driving on Rt. 73 in New Jersey. The back of the screen can also be seen on Rt. 90 right before/after the Betsy Ross Bridge.

When we took photos and visited the site, it was easy to navigate. Besides around the screen, the lot is not overgrown like most abandoned drive-ins. We parked in the church’s lot and walked over. At the end of the parking lot were a couple old poles and outlets from the drive-in time period.

Standing at the back of the drive-in, you can easily see how the gravel forms the lanes to drive to the parking spots.

It was hard to tell, and writing this 2 years after the fact of visiting, it is hard to remember exactly the location and purpose of the remains in my photos. One section of ground remains for the projection booth (center of the lot) and another section remains from the concession stand (center, back of lot).

Projection Booth (Center of Lot)

Concession Stand (Back Center of Lot)

Part is most likely bathroom tile…

…and other could be flooring for various areas in the concession stand and/or projection booth. There is cement, red tile, and tile imprints on the ground and cement. I thought it would be relatively easy to locate the company that made the tiles since I found information printed on the back; however, I could not determine the maker.

Trees surround the screen, but none have left damage. There are rust stains on the boards that make up the screen, and metal bars support it from behind.