The Michigan Drive-In Theatre Timeline is a year-by-year listings of drive-in openings, 
closings and events detailing the rise and fall of the 140-plus drive-in theatres 
that once operated in the State of Michigan. Also included are significant historical
events relating to Michigan, the automotive industry and some of Hollywoods offerings. 
Choose your fav decade below, or click here to take the decade-by-decade tour. >>>>

1930's
OZONER BEGINNINGS
A brand new phenomenon; watching movies, outdoors, in your car! 
The nation's first drive-in opens in New Jersey in 1933. Michigan's 
first drive-in, the Eastside, opens in Detroit on May 26th, 1938.

1940's
WAR AND 
After the conclusion of WWII, the 1940's would be a decade 
of explosive growth for the outdoor theatre industry.

1950's
ROCK 'N ROLL, TAILFINS AND DRIVE-INS
The magical fifties was the biggest decade ever for drive-ins, Michigan
ozoners flourished. Detroit offered up some of the most stylish cars ever, 
chrome and tailfins ruled the decade.

1960's
MUSTANGS & MUSCLE CARS
The 1960's brought us Mustangs, Muscle Cars and the Vietnam war.

1970's
DECLINE & DIRTY MOVIES
The gas crunch, x-rated movies and anemic economy cars.
The beginning of the end, the 1970's would be many drive-ins last hurrah.
Many turned to x-rated fare just to survive.

1980's
GRAVEYARDS & WALMARTS
Urban sprawl, increasing land values, video movies all play a role in enormous decline
in drive-in numbers in the 1980's. Many drive-ins were simply abandoned, created "drive-
in graveyards". Neglected, weathered and vandalized, these drive-in's died a slow painful
dead. Others were swallowed up by Walmarts, malls and indoor theatres.

1990's
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE
While many vacant former drive-in fields dot the Michigan landscape, thirty drive-ins
would survive the devastating 1980's. Sadly, nearly 110 others would not. As the 1990's
came to a close, the drive-in's would begin an era of rediscovery for many hoping to
relive their past. The survivor count would be down to ten by 1999.

2000's
DOT COM REDISCOVERY
The new millineum would bring a rediscovery and rebirth for the drive-ins,
fueled in part by the very thing you are looking at, the internet.

2005
OZONERS FUTURE
Halfway through the decade, the nostaglia for drive-in's shows no signs of letting 
up. While Michigan holds steady at 9 survivors, many new and reopened drive-in's 
have popped up all across the nation. Long Live The Drive-In!