Hi-way 39 Drive-in Theatre (Demolished)
Westminster, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

An extremely special drive-in theatre that was once on Hwy 39 (Beach Blvd.) in Westminster is the appropriately name Hi-way 39 Drive-in Theatre. Sporting a fantastic boating mural that spoke volumes of the fine beaches nearby, this drive-in sadly met its fate in March of 1997. Yes, after 42 years, this treasured theatre was replaced by ... a Walmart.

Opened on June 29, 1955, the Pacific Theatres venue welcomed its first customers with Jimmy Stewart in Strategic Air Command. Its sprawling grounds accommodated well over 1,500 cars, making an evening at the movies quite a gathering.

The mural was a roadside attraction in its own right. Facing the Beach Boulevard corridor and, later, the nearby 22 Freeway, the tower became a familiar landmark for people who might never have purchased a ticket. A screen could entertain customers on one side and passing traffic on the other.

Hi-way 39 Marquee
Westminster, CA
Photo courtesy Georg Balandran

Additional screens eventually brought more choices, but the theatre couldn’t escape the redevelopment pressures claiming outdoor movie houses across Southern California. Hi-Way 39 closed on March 31, 1997, ending nearly 42 years of entertainment and Orange County’s last operating drive-in.

The sailboats disappeared with the screen tower, and shopping replaced the nightly lineup. Yes, the place that once offered a double feature became a destination for a Walmart visit. Quite a change in the coming attractions.

UPDATE: Hi-Way 39 closed in March 1997 and was subsequently demolished. Its screen mural and signage are gone, and the former grounds became part of the Westminster Gateway shopping development. 10-26

Anaheim Drive-in / Current Sign (Demolished)
Anaheim, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Do you remember when Orange County actually had open drive-in theatres? Well, welcome to the Anaheim Drive-in Theatre on Lemon Ave.

A huge orange-toned screen tower once marked the Anaheim Drive-In Theatre on North Lemon Street. Its broad exterior gave the neighborhood a landmark by day, while the other side supplied the entertainment after sunset. Apparently an ordinary-sized introduction wasn’t enough for this outdoor movie house.

Opened on August 3, 1955, just weeks after Disneyland, the theatre arrived during a busy summer for Anaheim entertainment. Its first double feature paired An Annapolis Story with Shotgun, welcoming customers to grounds with room for roughly 1,800 to 2,000 cars.

Anaheim Drive-in Screen Tower
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio

Billed as a luxurious “super drive-in,” the venue spread across about 22 acres. The immense screen tower reflected that ambition, making the theatre easy to spot even when nothing was playing. For passing motorists, it was part of the everyday scenery along Lemon Street.

The Screen Tower to the old Anaheim Drive-in Theatre looked to be an interesting orangish color... a good depiction of Orange County.

The large concession building helped handle the crowd, giving customers somewhere to stretch their legs between pictures. A daytime swap meet later added another reason to visit. The same grounds could host bargain hunters in the morning and moviegoers after dark.

Anaheim Drive-in Marquee - old look
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio

The theatre eventually expanded to three screens, offering more programs as indoor multiplexes became increasingly common. Families and longtime customers could still enjoy the familiar outdoor arrangement, with an evening breeze and the dashboard close at hand.

Regular movies ended on March 26, 1990. Plans for a large indoor multiplex offered the property a possible second moviegoing career, although that project never materialized. Instead, the old screen tower remained above grounds that no longer filled for a nightly show.

This theatre showed it's final movie in 1990 after 35 years in business.

Anaheim Drive-in - Swap Meet Sign few years ago
Anaheim, CA
Photo courtesy Louis Di Fazio

Demolition finally arrived in 1996. The tower’s disappearance removed a familiar piece of Anaheim’s roadside landscape, leaving photographs to recall the days when a turn off Lemon Street led to a double feature beneath the stars.

UPDATE: Anaheim Drive-In closed in 1990 and was demolished in 1996. Its screen tower and theatre structures are gone, and the former grounds were redeveloped for commercial and industrial uses. 10-26

See more Googie treasures at Roadside Peek's Spotlight on Orange County Googie.