De Anza Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Tucson, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The De Anza Drive-in Theatre is the last remaining open drive-in in Tucson, Arizona. Sporting four screens, this ozoner, once called the Cactus, still delights fans with multiple choices for entertainment. Unfortunately, the pace of change is quickening, and the could be next to fall by the wayside.

See more at Roadside Peek's Lost Treasures feature on the De Anza Drive-in Theatre.

The Marquee for the Glendale 9 Drive-in Theater
Glendale, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's the Glendale 9 Drive-in Theatre in Glendale, Arizona. Yes, a whopping nine individual screens make up this massive open-air entertainment complex located at 5650 N. 55th Avenue, right at the corner of Bethany Home Road. With its array of entrance ticket booths, towering screen frames, and sprawling paved viewing ramps, business stays brisk at this open-air supreme.

Originally designed by renowned cinema architect Vincent G. Raney who also penned the blueprints for its lost East Valley twin, the Scottsdale Six, the theater officially opened its gates on June 13, 1979, under the Syufy/Century Theatres banner as the Glendale 7. Built during the peak of high-density outdoor cinema multiplexing, two more fields were later added to transform it into the 9-screen powerhouse it is today. Following the closures of the De Anza in Tucson and the Scottsdale Six, the Glendale 9 holds the celebrated distinction of being the absolute last surviving, continuously operating permanent drive-in theater in the entire state of Arizona.

Glendale 9 Drive-in Theatre
Glendale, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

At the heart of the complex sits an unmistakable mid-century concession building: a large, circular tiki-style hub capped with a faux-thatched roof, retro ordering concourses, and an arcade. The complex has effortlessly bridged the vintage era with modern upgrades, swapping out old-school window speaker boxes for crystal-clear FM stereo radio broadcasts and retrofitting projection towers with modern digital and high-powered laser setups.

Beyond nighttime Hollywood double features, the 29-acre venue pulls double duty as a major community landmark. On weekend mornings, the vast paved fields transform into the bustling Glendale Public Market and Swap Meet, drawing thousands of treasure hunters before the lot clears out and gears up for dusk showtimes.

The View of the Screen Tower and Lot
Glendal, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

UPDATE: The Glendale 9 Drive-in Theater first opened in 1979. The first owner was Syufy. West Wind now owns the Glendale 9. This is Arizona's last open drive-in theater and is known as the largest drive-in theater west of the Mississippi. See the Glendale 9 website for more information. 11-20

UPDATE: Decades after rolling its first reels in 1979, the West Wind Glendale 9 Drive-In is still thriving and open for business 365 days a year. As Arizona's sole surviving commercial drive-in cinema, its neon-accented box offices and towering screens continue to provide families, classic car cruisers, and road-trippers with an authentic, star-filled night at the movies under the desert sky. 08-26

Glendale 9 Drive-in Theatre
Glendale, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the projection building. Round and googie like.

The drive-in is open every Sat and Sun. At least it was circa 1999.

More photos of the Glendale 9 Drive-in Theatre

The ticket booths standing like soldiers Photo by RoadsidePeek.com	The view of the lot 2 Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Scottsdale Six Drive-in (Closed)
Scottsdale, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Scottsdale Six in Scottsdale, Arizona sports 3 less screens than the Glendale 9 but has the distinction of having a grassy hut located on the property facing the roadside. No, it's not a mistake... the snack bar does look just like the Glendale 9's.

See more at Roadside Peek's Lost Treasures tribute to the Scottsdale Six Drive-in Theatre.

Tonto Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Winslow, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Tonto Drive-in Theatre in Winslow Arizona is one of the last remaining Route 66 open-air theaters left. The ruins of this theatre can be seen off I-40.

If any drive-in has a romantic edge to it, the Tonto is it. This drive-in is one that captures the spirit of not just the Mother Road but of road trips in general.

See more at Roadside Peek's Lost Treasures tribute to the Tonto Drive-in Theater.