Hunterdon Drive-In
Reference
Located in a sprawling field roughly halfway between Lambertville and Ringoes, this drive-in is now long gone, but I recall driving past it many times in my youth before its demise. Opened on October 27, 1950, the drive-in had a 300-car capacity; opening night tickets were 60¢ and free to children under 12. It ended operation in 1987. The aerial was taken in 1972. Incidentally, given the movie being featured, the photo below of the entrance was taken around the time the drive-in opened.
This nice clear aerial was taken in 1972.
Taken long after the drive-in closed, this undated photo of the screen may not even be the right one, but if it's not, it's probably very close.
Timeline
1950: Built and managed by Brandt Theaters
1952: St. Cloud Management
1958: Renamed Ringoes Drive-In
1962: Amos Theatres Management, Morton Mazor Manager
1974: Johnny Morgan Manager
1976: Last year of first-run operation
1981: Grand reopening as Gem Drive-In, Joe Farruiggo Manager; switched to AM sound
1987: Final year of operation
1993: Screen collapsed in an ice storm
2001: Land sold to the county, now the new Hunterdon County 4H fairgrounds
The Model
See the special effects page on how I'm doing this.
Further Reading
- Cinema Treasures: Gem Drive-In
- East Amwell Historical Society
- Laura Olsen, Movies Under the Stars: The Drive-in at Ringoes, 2004, self-published (good luck finding a copy!)