![]() Taking cues from the surrounding community's cultural heritage, the marquee, box offices, snack bar and landscaping were set to be remodeled with an "Old California, Orange Ranch" theme. The audience appreciated these improvements, and turned out in record numbers.īeginning in 2007 the old Van Buren was given a new image. ![]() Then, the lots were repaved and the screens repainted. First, the latest drive-in theatre technology including FM transmitters and Technalight, the state-of-the-art projection system was installed. In 2006 when real estate development fell through, the Van Buren's owners decided to invest in a long postponed remodeling project. Although the Van Buren was never forced to close, because it has always been popular, 40 years of continuous operation did result in some despair. Like most drive-ins, the Van Buren was not built to last more than a decade before it was redeveloped, for a higher value, in the booming Southern California real estate market. Built on the site of a former orange ranch, the theatre was expanded to three screens in 1975. The Van Buren Drive-in Theatre, named for its location on Van Buren Blvd in the historic Arlington district of Riverside, California, opened in 1964 with a single screen. Now there just over 400 drive-ins in the country, but those remaining have a dedicated following of devoted fans, who love their movies outdoors in a pleasant, family friendly setting. But television, indoor theatre multiplexes and soaring real estate values saw to the decline of the drive-in, beginning the late 1970s. Its successful debut prompted others to follow, and by the mid 1950s drive-ins numbered well over 4,000, some of which held room for over three thousand cars. From humble beginnings in Depression-era New Jersey to the unprecedented national phenomenon that became a definitive icon of an entire generation, the drive-in theater brought together two of the greatest American passions: the automobile and the movies.Īuto parts salesman Richard Hollingshead opened the world's first Drive-in Theatre in Camden, New Jersey on June 6th, 1933. Learn more including showtimes, policies, and information on their daytime swap meet on their website.Few things say America more than apple pie, barbeques on the Fourth of July and drive-in movies. See a movie under the stars at the Van Buren Drive-In at 2035 Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside. I visited the Van Buren back in 2004 during a road trip to California, and was able to step inside briefly to take some photos, so if you want a look at what it looked like prior to the 2007 revamp, you can see them here, among other photos taken by 16 year old me. The interior features enlarged citrus crate labels and historic photographs of not just the Van Buren, but other drive-ins and cinemas of the area. A massive mural was painted on the original screen, which has sadly faded and has not been repainted since it looks like, and the snack bar was revamped both inside and out. In 2007 the drive-in underwent a remodel and drew inspiration from that history. So it only makes sense that the land the Van Buren sits on was once an orange grove. Riverside is rich in citrus history, in fact it is home to one of the two first Navel orange trees to arrive in California and the amazing Citrus State Historic Park. While I haven’t seen it in action, I love the bit on the side of the marquee noting if any of the screens are full. ![]() Just a little over ten years later, in 1975, it added two more screens. Named after the street it is located on, the Van Buren Drive-In opened in 1964 with a single screen. Thankfully we live near a few others, and recently Patrick and I went to the Van Buren Drive-in in Riverside to see Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Earlier this year the sun set on Mission Tiki Drive-In, which had become our regular drive-in since moving to California.
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