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. 

1980-89
The 1980's would prove to be even more devastating for drive-in's then the 1970's.
With the advent of vcr's & movie rentals, rising property values, and urban growth,
drive-in's died quietly. Most are quickly razed and the lots reclaimed for 
development by malls, indoor theatres, Walmart and such. A few, including both the 
Northside and Starlite in Lansing, are demolished and the lots go unused to this 
day. Some rural ozoners are simply abandoned and left to the elements. The M-60 
Drive-In near Mendon closed in '83 and continues to rot away in 2005.

1980
The last new drive-in to be built in Michigan opens near Traverse 
City, the Sundowner Twin. It would last only five years. One screen,
the marquee and the snack bar remain standing in 2004.

1981
Jack Loeks Theaters close their North and Auto drive-in's in Muskegon. The Auto is
replaced by a multiplex and the North is left to rot for twenty years, until it is
finally demolished in 2001. The Lansing Drive-In also closes in 1981.

1981
Michigan native Alice Cooper plays a drive-in 
rock concert at the Thunder Bay in Alpena. 

1984
The Starlite Drive-In in Lansing is closed forever 
in August 1984. The lot is vacant to this day.

The Detroit Tigers win the World Series.

1985
The Caro Drive-In is lost forever when a storm damages the screen tower. The Caro
is doomed as Walmart continues on it's path of drive-in destruction by snapping
up the wounded ozoner and building a new "super center" on the site......super.

1985
Yet another casualty, the Douglas Drive-In in Kalamazoo also closes for good in 1985.
The marquee was eventually salvaged by the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. It was 
beautifully restored and is currently on display in all of it's neon glory. The Douglas 
was left to rot, like so many others. The snack bar was razed in the early-90's, 
and the screen and marquee pedestal finally came down in 2004.

1986
On a more positive note, the Capri Drive-In is twinned in 1986, using a screen 
salvaged from an unknown Detroit area drive-in. Platters were installed on both
screens and all speakers and poles were removed from the fields.

1988
Open drive-in's include the Albion, Lenawee, Seaway, Scio, Starlite (Benton Harbor),
Commerce, Miracle Mile, Lakes (Brighton), Burnside, Sceen, M-78, Tawas, Silver,
Hilltop (Escanaba), Grand River, Beltline, Cascade, Plainfield, Greenville, M-53,
Starlight (Saugatuck), Ionia, Tri-City, Jackson, Woodland, Thunder Bay, M-60, 
Northside, Starlite (Ludington), Marysville, Sunset (Midland), Galaxy (Mio), 
Bel-Aire (Monroe), Mt.Clemens, Mt.Pleasant, Crest, Blue Sky (Pontiac), Pontiac, 
Lakeshore, Auto, Bel Air & Twilite (Saginaw), Starlite (S.S.Marie), Ft.George, 
Skytop, Ecorse, Jolly Roger, Walake, Waterford, Capri, Miracle Twin, Cherry Bowl,
Sunset (Hartford), 5-Mile, Ford-Wyoming, Hi-Way, US-23, Getty 4 and Cinema 2.
The Northside in Lansing and the Beltline 3 in Grand Rapids would close in 1988. 

NEXT: 1990's