Hi-way Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Santa Maria, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre in Santa Maria was quite a find for travelers looking for a little old roadside design. Its distinctive Googie sign stood out front, advertising an evening beneath the open sky with considerably more flair than an ordinary rectangular reader board. When these photos were taken, the grounds were immaculate and the screen tower, marquee and ticket booth looked well cared for. An “open” open-air theatre, and a handsome one at that.

Travelers to Santa Maria will be happy to find that the Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre is still sporting its unique googie sign. An "open" open-air theatre, the Hi-Way appeared to be in great condition. The grounds were immaculate and the screen tower, marquee, and ticket booth well kept up.

The Hi-Way opened in 1961, when drive-ins were still a familiar part of California’s car culture. Pull through the entrance, find a space and wait for darkness. Santa Maria’s cooler coastal evenings probably made a blanket in the back seat just as useful as a bag of popcorn.

Hi-way Drive-in Theatre
Santa Maria, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The Gran family purchased the theatre in 1978 and kept it operating for more than four decades. Their care showed in the property, which retained the familiar outline of a classic single-screen drive-in rather than looking like an abandoned lot waiting for another use. The old sign was only the beginning of the scene.

Over the years, the window-mounted speakers gave way to FM sound through the car radio. The equipment changed, but the routine stayed much the same. A stop at the concession stand, a little rearranging to see around the windshield and a movie large enough to fill the night ahead.

Hi-way Drive-in
Santa Maria, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

After the Park Aire Drive-In closed in 1995, the Hi-Way became Santa Maria’s last operating outdoor movie theatre. It carried on through changing moviegoing habits and eventually the pandemic, but mounting financial pressures brought its long run to an end. The final screening was Spider-Man: No Way Home on January 6, 2022. Quite a last title for a theatre whose own home was about to change.

UPDATE: The Hi-Way closed permanently, and its grounds were cleared for an affordable housing development by People’s Self-Help Housing. Fortunately, the distinctive Googie marquee was removed and transported to Barstow rather than demolished with the theatre. Its current storage or display location has not been confirmed, but the old sign escaped the clearing crews. 09-26

Sunnyside Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Fresno, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

A drive-in that's on the "sunnyside" literally (at least when taking photos) is the Sunnyside Drive-in of Fresno. Another of Fresno's fun and games sites, the Sunnyside's main screen was once the "world's largest" screen tower. Many thanks to Andy Callahan for the above info.

The Sunnyside Drive-In Theatre in Fresno did not do things on a small scale. Its enormous screen tower was promoted as the world’s largest when the theatre opened, giving motorists near Olive and Clovis avenues quite a landmark to look for. Even during the day, that towering structure made it clear there was something much bigger than an ordinary movie screen waiting behind the entrance.

Sunnyside Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Fresno, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Sunnyside opened on May 26, 1965, with Cheyenne Autumn and Robin and the 7 Hoods. A Western followed by Frank Sinatra and company, all beneath the Central Valley sky. With space for roughly 1,600 cars, the sprawling grounds could accommodate quite a crowd without anyone having to squeeze into a theatre seat.

Pull into a row, line up with the screen and hang the speaker on the window. Then came the wait for sunset, perhaps with a trip to the snack bar while there was still enough daylight to find the car again. A lot this size probably made remembering your parking row almost as important as remembering what movie was playing.

Sunnyside Drive-in Theatre screen tower
Fresno, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Operated by Pacific Theatres, Sunnyside eventually became a twin drive-in. Dividing the grounds gave customers another choice of features while keeping the familiar outdoor arrangement. The company also operated other Fresno drive-ins, part of a time when an evening at the movies did not necessarily involve going indoors.

Film screenings ended sometime around the late 1980s, although the exact final date remains uncertain. The property then found another use as a flea market and swap meet. Cars still filled the grounds, but customers arrived looking for tools, household odds and ends and whatever unexpected bargain might be waiting in the next row.

Sunnyside Drive-in Theatre projection booth
Fresno, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The giant screen and other theatre structures lingered through those daytime years, preserving the outline of the old drive-in long after the movies stopped. Against the open sky, the tower remained a reminder of what the lot had originally been built to do. It must have been a curious backdrop for a Saturday morning shopping trip.

UPDATE: The Sunnyside Drive-in Theatre closed down in the late 1990's and was demolished in 2004. 07-06

UPDATE: Sunnyside’s remaining structures, including the huge screen tower, were demolished in 2004. The theatre and its roadside signage are gone. Its advertised “world’s largest” screen is now part of drive-in history rather than something motorists can spot above the Fresno roadside. 09-26