Scott Drive-In Theater, Decatur
Scott Drive-In Theater was located at 1715 Lawrenceville Road, opening in 1951. It closed in 1977. The location was in the area where Patel Plaza is today near where Lawrenceville Highway meets Church Street.
The grand opening was September 3, 1951. The ad reads “Dress as you like, smoke if you please, and children always admitted free.” Adults had to pay 50 cents for admission. The feature film advertised was “Korea Patrol,” but the ad also lists a film about the Pony Express, a “full color” cartoon and a film on world news. I think these were likely short films that aired before the feature. A fireworks display was planned for the grand opening. (Atlanta Journal, Sept. 3, 1951 advertisement)
Sept. 3, 1951 Atlanta Journal ad for Scott Drive-In Theatre grand opening.
Peachtree Drive-In Theatre on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard (Peachtree Boulevard today) in Chamblee opened the year before Scott, on July 14, 1950. For the grand opening the Southeastern Theatre Equipment Company announced, “We are proud to have installed the latest RCA sound and projection equipment in the beautiful new Peachtree Drive-in Theatre. (Atlanta Constitution, July 14, 1950)
Northeast Expressway Drive-In opened in 1963, with “Hootenanny Hoot” and “Where the Boys Are” as the featured films. The location is now 3200 Atlanta Silverbacks Way in Chamblee.
In 1968, “Hootenanny Hoot” also played at Scott Drive-In. That was the same year Scott held a contest to give away a free motorcycle.
The North 85 Drive-In theater opened in 1965, according to cinematreasures.org. This drive-in was located at 3265 NE Expressway. The theater was converted to a double screen in 1975 and closed in 1998. Today, this is the location of Regal Hollywood Theatre.
As usual, I visited cinematreasures.org to see what additional information, memories and photos are available on the Scott Drive-In. People who recall the theater reference 550 parking spaces at the drive-in and a playground close to the screen. There are some interesting photos and aerial views, so I recommend visiting the site.
I wish I could remember whether I went to Scott Drive-In with my parents when we lived closed by off N. Druid Hills Road, but since we moved by the time I was five years old I don’t recall.