The 66 Drive-In theater in Carthage, Missouri, is marking its 70th year, and it will host an open-air market Saturday and Sunday as the outdoor movie season winds down.
According to the National Park Service, it opened Sept. 22, 1949, along Route 66 on Carthage’s west side. It closed in 1985, but reopened 13 years later and continues to show two movies nightly on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
KSNF-TV posted this story about the theater:
As for the 66 Drive-In’s upcoming first-ever market, called the Vintage Nostalgic Open Air Market, it’s part of a trend for drive-in theaters to host them during the cold-weather season to bring in more revenue.
It will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission will be $3, and it will feature food trucks.
Virtually everything at the theater from 70 years ago is still there, including the neon marquee, playground, ticket booth, concession stand/projection booth and the 66-foot-tall screen.
The 66 Drive-In was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
(Image of the 66 Drive-In in Carthage, Missouri, by Mark Goebel via Flickr)