It’s Drive-in Movie Season

Wisconsin is home to a surprising number of drive-in movie theaters. With summer in its final stages, there’s no better time to catch a blockbuster.

Some of our younger readers may be shrugging their shoulders or furrowing their brows right now, so to get them caught up, here’s a brief explainer of the motorized movie experience:

A drive-in theater is a place to watch a film from your vehicle. In terms you can understand, imagine a giant iPhone at one end of a large parking lot. Or a car in front of the TV in your rec room.

The middle part of the previous century was the golden age for the drive-in theater. They dotted the landscape and became more than a place to catch the latest release in the comfort of your car, they were a local meeting place for young people and became part of the cultural fabric of America.

They served as settings for films and TV shows, inspired lyrics in countless pop songs, and became the subject of locker room gossip.

You see, the privacy one’s automobile provided worked in consort with raging teenage hormones to turn backseats into havens for making out.

You know that thing where you stretch while yawning and then slyly wrap your arm around your date? The drive-in theater is where that move was elevated to an art form.

Of course, there are other things to do at a drive-in movie besides trying to get to second base. There’s usually a snack bar, and often a play area for kids. And you can also, you know, watch the movie.

The drive-in’s resurgence began a few years ago and really took off during the pandemic. Technological advances have elevated the experience for moviegoers with better projectors, screens, and audio.

The drive-in season is short at this latitude, so if you want to create summer memories on your own, you’d better grab the keys and go. The good people at Travel Wisconsin have a great list of venues around the state. For more information on the full drive-in experience, consult your grandparents. Well, on second thought, maybe don’t.