Like in the rest of the country, Washington State has lost most of its once so popular drive-in theaters. There are only five left, most of them around Seattle, but they have a steady following and it even seems that their popularity is growing in part because watching movies outdoors is an opportunity for the family to spend some time together and to meet friends and neighbors. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Some restaurants are currently offering pickup only. Hours/availability may have changed.
1.Skyline Drive-in
Located at the outskirts of Shelton, WA, in the middle of the farmland, Skyline Drive-In was opened in 1964 with a single screen showing double features and has been doing the same ever since. It is a fairly small outdoor theater with space for about 330 cars. It is seasonal and shows movies daily, starting at dusk, regardless of the weather. To hear the sound, viewers must use a FM radio in their cars. There is a small snack bar that offers burgers, fries, and the usual fare of popcorn and nachos. No outside food or drinks are allowed. Dogs are welcome on a leash but not in the snack bar.
182 SE Brewer Rd, Shelton, WA 98584, Phone: 360-426-4707
2.Auto Vue Drive-in Theatre
There was a time when folks in Spokane had seven drive-ins to chose from. Today, if they feel like a movie under the stars, they have to go to nearby Coleville. Auto Vue Drive-in in Coleville, WA, was opened in 1953 by the Wisner family and they are still going strong. The Auto Vue is open from Friday to Wednesday between April and September in a dry, flat field surrounded by the magnificent Colville National Forest. The field can accommodate 220 cars and trucks, and in the tradition of old drive-ins it quickly gets filled with lawn furniture and backed-up pickup trucks full of kids. The old speakers mounted on the poles have been removed and now the movie-goers listen to the sound through the FM radio in their cars. There is a small snack bar with popcorn and pizzas.
444 Auto View Rd, Colville, WA 99114, Phone: 509-684-2863
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State" Back to Top
3.Blue Fox Drive-in
Blue Fox Drive-in in Oak Harbor, WA, is not only one of the few drive-ins left in Washington, it is the major entertainment venue in town. Besides the 280-car outdoor movie theater, Blue Fox also features a go-kart track, train raids for children, a large games arcade in a separate building, and a snack bar with sandwiches and pizzas and frequent specials such as grilled burgers or barbecue beef sandwiches. They do not allow food or drinks from outside. The movies start at about 9:30pm and movie-goers need an FM radio to hear the sound. The theater is open every day and if you do not like crowds, stay away on Fridays and Saturdays.
1403 N Monroe Landing Rd, Oak Harbor, WA 98277, Phone: 360-675-5667
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State" Back to Top
4.Wheel-in Motor Movie
Everything about the Wheel-in Motor Movie drive-in speaks about tradition. It is still owned by the same family that opened it in 1953, and they even kept their original screen until last year, when it had to be replaced. They still have old-fashioned FM Dolby digital stereo sound and the classic drive-in speakers. The theater is located on a nice grassy field surrounded by a dense evergreen forests and is fairly small, with space for only about 150 cars. The Wheel-in Motor Movie runs between April and October, from Wednesday to Sunday. There is a nice little snack bar with pizzas, burgers, hot dogs, and much more. No alcohol is allowed.
210 Theatre Rd, Port Townsend, WA 98368, Phone: 360-385-0859
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State this Weekend with Friends" Back to Top or More places to see near me today, what to do, weekend trips
5.Rodeo Triple Drive-In
The 850-car Rodeo Drive-In Theatre in Bremerton, WA, is the biggest outdoor theatre in the Pacific Northwest. The Rodeo opened its doors in 1949 as a single-screen theater and added two more screens in 1978. The theater is seasonal and runs double features from March to September. It is open on weekends from March to mid-June and daily during the summer. Visitors need to have an FM radio in their vehicles to hear the sound. They can bring food from outside, but the theatre snack bar is excellent and offers a large range of delicious foods, from pizzas and Philly cheese steak sandwiches to corn dogs and fish and chips.
7369 State Highway 3 SW, Bremerton, WA 98312, Phone: 360-698-6030
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State" Back to Top or More must do for couples, what to do near me, places to visit this weekend
5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State
- Skyline Drive-in, Photo: Courtesy of ktsdesign - Fotolia.com
- Auto Vue Drive-in Theatre, Photo: Auto Vue Drive-in Theatre
- Blue Fox Drive-in, Photo: Blue Fox Drive-in
- Wheel-in Motor Movie, Photo: Courtesy of Maren Winter - Fotolia.com
- Rodeo Triple Drive-In, Photo: Rodeo Triple Drive-In
- Cover Photo: Courtesy of jetcityimage - Fotolia.com
More Ideas in WA: The Space Needle
There's a lot to love about Seattle. Home to the headquarters of major tech companies, it's a big business city, but it's also surrounded by the waters of the Puget Sound and beautiful mountainous scenery off on the horizon. A dream location for shopping, dining, cultural experiences, and outdoor recreation, the Emerald City has a lot to offer, and one of its most iconic landmarks is undoubtedly the Space Needle. When people think of Seattle, they think of the Space Needle.
Designed by Edward E. Carlson and John Graham, Jr, this extraordinary observation tower was built in 1962 for the World's Fair, and despite being over 50 years old now, the Space Needle still has a futuristic, almost science-fiction like aesthetic that draws people to the city of Seattle and ensures it remains one of the Pacific Northwest's most iconic and popular landmarks, and it still receives updates and upgrades as the years go by in order to remain as cutting edge and enjoyable for visitors as ever. In June of 2017, the Space Needle started to undergo its latest major renovations.
As one of the most instantly recognizable landmarks in all of the United States, the Space Needle draws in increasingly higher numbers of visitors each and every year and needs to be renovated and improved in order to provide the best experience possible for all those people. The latest renovations at the Space Needle, which began in the summer of 2017, were focused on improving the visitor experience in every possible way. Privately funded, the project led to some very big and noticeable changes at the Space Needle.
- The Foundations Of The Project - Back in the early 1960s, when plans for the Space Needle were first being laid out in preparation of the 1962 World's Fair, the initial sketches and concepts of the tower actually featured much larger observation windows than the real tower ended up having. The designers wanted to provide huge windows with the widest possible view for visitors, but construction limitations at the time prevented this dream from becoming a reality. Now, with modern day technology and state of the art glass, it has finally become possible to not only realize that dream, but to improve on it, and this was the basis for the latest renovation project at the Space Needle.
- The Work - Phase one of the project, which was focused on giving the observation deck area floor-to-ceiling glass windows on both the interior and exterior in order to provide a better viewing experience and to incorporate a rotating glass floor, began in June of 2017 and finished in the summer of 2018. More phases are planned for the future, which will include an updating of the elevators in the tower and a full repaint. The work involved a project team working together with the Landmarks Preservation Board of Seattle, along with various designers, historians, and members of the community in order to respect the original design while enhancing it for the future. Several years went into planning the project.
- The 520-Foot Level Improvements - At the 520-foot observation deck level of the Space Needle, guests will now be able to enjoy brand new exterior glass barriers which lean outwards in alignment with the building's design. These barriers are much more visually pleasing than the cage-like wire which was previously placed around the outside of the deck area, allowing for better views and more attractive photos as well. Various glass benches, known as Skyrisers, have also been introduced to allow guests to lean out over the city and take some super selfies, while floor-to-ceiling windows have been introduced in the interior area of the deck. These windows replaced walls, so allow guests to really get a full viewing experience from the second they step off the elevator, rather than having to wait to get outside.
- The 500-Foot Level Improvements - Down on the 500-foot level, meanwhile, an exciting new innovation has been added to the Space Needle: an entirely revolving glass floor. Known as 'The Loupe', this remarkable glass floor lets guests literally walk out onto stunning views of the city right below their feet, looking down, admiring the mechanics of the turntable and the one of a kind experience that the floor is able to provide. Essentially, the addition of The Loupe gives visitors almost 360 degree views of the entire cityscape and is made from no less than 10 layers of only the strongest and most tightly bonded glass to guarantee the strictest levels of safety for all.
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State " Back to Top
More Ideas in WA: SODO Track - Unique Murals in Downtown Seattle
Art has an incredible power to inspire, amaze, entertain, and educate. When we see a piece of art, we can feel so many different ideas and emotions, able to interpret the piece in a variety of ways that are unique to us, as well as sharing our thoughts and reflections with those around us.
Not only can art be inspiring, it can also be transformative, helping to change dull, gray public and urban spaces into so much more. A bit of color, life, and creativity can utterly change the face of a neighborhood or building, and public art projects like SODO Track in Seattle are proving what happens when artists are allowed to express themselves in open spaces.
The SODO Track - Murals in Downtown Seattle
A two-mile transit passage in Downtown Seattle, the SODO Track is used by more than 50,000 people daily who travel through the buses and rails. The area was once dull and bland, but has now been enriched and enhanced through the wonderful SODO Track project, a free and fully reachable urban art gallery, right in the heart of the city.
Over the course of three separate summers from 2016 to 2018, more than 60 artists were commissioned from 20 countries all over the world, to paint large scale murals along the streets of the SODO Track. Their theme was speed, motion and progress, and they all brought their own ideas and perspectives to the project.
The result, obtained through collaboration between various organizations and individuals including 4Culture, Urban Artworks, King County Metro, and the SODO Business Improvement Area, is breathtaking. Now, anyone riding the trains, buses, or simply walking along the SODO Trail can experience incredible art to inspire and amaze them each day.
How To Experience SODO Track
The SODO Track has totally revolutionized the aesthetic appeal of Downtown Seattle, affecting and influencing the lives of tens of thousands of people on a daily basis. Here's how you can experience it: Location - The SODO Track runs along 5th Ave South between Royal Brougham Way and Spokane St in the South of Downtown neighborhood.
- Light Rail - You can choose to ride the Sound Transit Link light rail system in order to experience a lot of different artworks along the SODO Track. This is one of the most popular ways to enjoy the track, with many people making the journey each day. Those who travel between the Stadium and Beacon Hill stations will be able to enjoy no less than 35 different artworks painted between S Forest St and Royal Brougham.
- The Bus - The bus is another form of public transport you might choose to take in order to enjoy the unique beauty and charms of the SODO Track, able to look out the window and witness some of the city's best public art. If you take either the 150 or 594 bus from “SODO Busway & S Royal Brougham Way” and “SODO Busway Acrd & S Spokane”, you'll be able to see over 50 different artworks painted between Royal Brougham and Spokane St. Another great advantage of taking the bus is that it actually stops at the SODO Station, letting you ride the train and see even more murals to fully experience the impressive scope and scale of the track.
- Walking or Cycling - You don't necessarily have to ride public transport to enjoy the SODO Track. The SODO Trail also provides access to many of the area's inspiring artworks. You can choose to walk or cycle along the SODO Trail from Royal Brougham to S Fores St, over on the east side of the SODO Busway. This route passes by 20 different artworks in total, as well as letting you glimpse five more on the way on the west of the SODO Busway. The advantage of choosing to walk or cycle along the SODO Trail is that you get to move at your own pace, able to stop and enjoy the murals individually, as well as snapping some selfies or discussing the pieces with your friends, rather than zooming along in a bus or train.
Whichever option you choose, the SODO Track is most definitely worthy of a visit. It can appeal to art lovers in particular, but also has a lot to offer Seattle residents and visitors of all tastes and from all walks of life. These murals represent the power of community, the potential of creativity, and the possibilities of what can be done in order to transform urban spaces into so much more than they were before.
You are reading "5 Drive-In Movie Theaters in Washington State " Back to Top
