Top Drive-In Movie Theaters in Northeast Ohio

With the arrival of sunnier weather comes warm summer nights with starry skies and the return of the drive-in movie season. This once-popular way of watching movies outdoors is making a comeback and is a great way to spend an evening with friends or a loved one, enjoying this unique open-air experience. Whether you’re a long-time drive-in theater lover, it’s something that you’ve always wanted to try, or you’re looking for a last-minute special date-night idea, you’ll find plenty of great drive-in theater options in Northeast Ohio that you should check out this summer.

Blue Sky Drive-in Theater

The Blue Sky Drive-in Theater is an old-fashioned drive-in that first opened in 1947 and is seasonally operated, with the grounds also being used for an outdoor flea market. It is located at 959 Broad St. in Wadsworth, Ohio, about 40 miles south of Cleveland. This theater has one screen which shows two popular modern features a night on open days which are usually Friday and Saturday. You’ll find a well-stocked concession stand that serves up hot and cold drinks like coffee, sodas, and root beer. Food options include pizzas, burgers, nachos, hot dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes, and ice cream.

Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theatre

As its name suggests, the Aut-O-Rama Twin Drive-in Theatre offers two screens to choose from each showing two films a night of popular all-ages movies. Built in 1965, this drive-in is still family-owned by the third generation of the original family. It is open every night for the summer season from around Memorial Day to Labor Day and on weekends leading up to that starting in April. Concessions include everything from snacks and candy to dinner items like pizzas, burgers, and subs. Aut-O-Rama is located at 33395 Lorain Road in North Ridgeville, Ohio, just a half-hour southwest of Cleveland.

Elm Road Triple Drive-in Theatre

“Elm Road Drive-In Theatre” by Jack Pearce is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Are two screens not enough for you? Then check out the Elm Road Triple Drive-in Theatre which has three large screens showing a range of exciting new movies for both kids and adults. This drive-in theater is located at 1895 Elm Road NE, in Warren, Ohio, just over an hour southeast of Cleveland on the way to Youngstown. Movies begin as soon as it gets dark which changes throughout the year, and each screen shows two features a night, both included in your ticket price. Their concession stand offers a large menu with cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pizzas, drinks, snacks, and more.

Magic City Drive-In Theater

The Magic City Drive-In Theater opened in 1953 in Barberton, Ohio, at the height of drive-in popularity, and a second screen was added in the ’70s with room for 700 cars. Its two double-feature screens now show popular new releases and are currently open on Friday and Saturday nights with more days added as the summer sets in. Ticket prices are $25 per car, with a typical $10 food permit fee if you want to bring in outside food and beverages. But for the full drive-in experience, you can arrive early and enjoy dinner and popcorn from the concession stand.

Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre

The Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre is located at 12100 State Route 322 in Chardon, Ohio. It opened in 1945 and remains a single screen theater with a capacity for 350 cars, showing a double-feature of new movies rain or shine during the summer season. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $25 per car, with the first movie beginning at dark. Pay $10 to bring in outside food, or shop the concession stand which offers everything from fresh popcorn to made-to-order personal pizzas, specialty items like the spicy chicken breast sandwich, and deep-fried treats including french fries and jalapeño poppers.

Midway Twin Drive-in Theater

A sister theater of Mayfield Road Drive-In, Midway Twin Drive-In Theater has two screens and thus double the movie options. It is located at 12100 Kent-Ravenna Road, State Route 59 in Ravenna, Ohio, just 40 minutes south of the Mayfield Road location. It has a similar menu to Mayfield Road but at Midway, you’ll have the luxury of ordering a 7 or 12-inch pizza from the concession stand and having it delivered to your car. Come early to get a great spot, set up chairs and blankets, and get your dinner ordered.

Springmill Drive-In Theater

The Springmill Drive-In Theater is located in Mansfield, Ohio, at 1040 Springmill Road and has been around since 1950. It has two screens each showing a double feature, and sometimes a triple feature at no additional cost, of first-run movies. Admission prices are $10 for adults and $5 for children from 3 to 11, with a $10 food permit fee per vehicle if you’re bringing outside food. Don’t want to pay extra for food you’ve already bought? Support the theater by getting dinner and snacks at their concession stand. Specials include $1 off pizzas on Sunday.

Skyway Twin Drive-In Theatre

Apart from double-feature movies on two screens, the Skyway Twin Drive-In Theatre also offers Laser Storm events for laser tag fans, and arena rentals for birthday parties or other celebrations. The drive-in is located at 1825 North Leavitt Road NW, in Warren, Ohio. The concession stand offers tasty snacks like macaroni and cheese bites and fried pierogies, dinner items including fresh 14-inch pizzas, Skyway’s signature Philly cheese steak sandwich, quarter pound burgers, and more, and desserts including funnel cake and ice cream floats.

Watching a movie under the stars with your family or friends is an irreplaceable experience and one you should try if you haven’t before. Bring some chairs and blankets, order dinner and a drink, and watch Hollywood’s latest blockbusters on the big screen with other drive-in enthusiasts. Have you been to many drive-ins in northeast Ohio? At Volkswagen of Streetsboro we’d love to hear which one you think is the best and what you love about it. Drop us a line on our contact page and tell us which local drive-in movie theater is your favorite.