Drive-ins once dotted the American landscape -- doubling as social hot spots as well as impromptu car shows -- but fell out of favor with movie-goers during the 1960s as multiplex theaters began to emerge. Although the golden era of drive-in theaters is certainly behind us, the drive-in is enjoying a mini revival across the U.S.
"It's going to be a new way to see a movie for a lot of people," Bart Lower, owner of Danny Boy's drive-in in Ionia, Michigan, told USA Today.
According to drive-ins.com, there are currently 364 drive-in operating in the United States, but that figure should continue to rise throughout the summer months as several new theaters are slated to open. However, the drive-in's revival could be short-lived as the movie industry is switching from 35mm film to digital. Digital projectors are an expensive upgrade, which could force many of the smaller drive-ins out of business.
Image courtesy of The Starlite Drive-In
