East Hartford Family Drive-In
John Fitch Blvd & Chapel Rd
South Windsor CT 06074
This 600 car capacity drive-in theater was in operation from 1954 until 1984. At time of writing this site has been unused and abandoned for nearly 30 years.
As a youngster in the 60’s it was always a huge, huge treat for your parents to take you to the Drive In. I came from solid but modest beginnings. So you cherished every trip to the drive in. We had one on the town line next door to the town we lived in. The children would always scamper joyfully up to the playground before the movie began, and ride on the swings, seesaw, merry go round and the like. I’d remember the sun slowly setting as we’d squeeze in that last trip down the slide.
I remember those silly advertisements that drive in would play to entice you to buy a hotdog, popcorn or burger. It truly was pure, simplistic, old time 60’s advertising. To their credit, however, you’d be salivating for a hot dog by the time the reel ended.
I was an only child until I was 11 which meant that I got that big bench seat in the back of the Chevy whenever we went. Plenty of leg room and lots of room to sleep which usually occurred not long after intermission.
Speaking of intermission you couldn’t wait for Dad to bring you to the concession area. If you were lucky it was your second trip because he took you for popcorn when the movie began. There was nothing like a drive in hot dog loaded with all the fixings!
I can also remember borrowing the parents car and having a couple of first dates at the local drive in many years later. Man was I nervous. I think the kids are much more precocious then I was back then. At 16 years old I was NOT a man of the world. To sit there and hold hands on a first date was about as much excitement as I could take. (smile).
Modern technology has contributed so many terrific advancements. On the other hand it has taken away many of the things that we held dear to us. This, my friends, is one of those things. Probably gone forever, but not in my memories.
Of all of the photos here I enjoyed the abandoned drive-in best. They brought back happy memories of sitting on the roof of the Comet station wagon watching “The Guns of Navarone” or “Bridge on the River Kwai” and at the same time are a little sad.
Bring back the Drive-in !!
Thank you for your comment Mike. Looks like you and I share the same fond memories.
what year did you go to this place! I am intriged!
Jeff I took these photo’s in 2013. Prior to that I had never been to this place. The drive in’s that I went to with my parents as a kid were the Southington Drive In and the North Haven Drive in.
I remember seeing the movei mad max in my dads 70 ford torino no ac in like 82″It makes me feel old as i was only ten and now approching 42 man time flys!place is scary to look at now what a shame!
I agree Jeff. Time certainly does fly but it would be nice if a few things from the past still remained. At least we have our the memories. Thanks for visiting the site.
I love the pictures! I drive by this a lot because I have been living right up the street for about 13 years or so. The lot is open still and used by a man in a breakfast food truck and was supposed to be turned into an acting agency/mall place. I really want to go explore it. Also, Did you go inside the booth? Was there anything left in it?
Thanks
-Alton
Hi Alton,
Thanks for your comments! I’ve never gone inside an abandoned building up to this point, including this one. I’m very leery of trespassing issues. I won’t even go on land that is abandoned if I have any inkling at all that I’m trespassing or if it is marked.
Jay
I live in South Windsor and have been to that drive in more times then i can count,,was a good drive in and many dates there when i grew up !!!
Sorry to see these great landmarks of our childhood and youth vanish. For those of us that remember there was nothing like the smells, sites and sounds of a drive in movie theatre.
Hello,
Does the screen (what is left of it) still stand? I have been looking for a location for a short film.
Thank you for your time and your images!
Hi John. I haven’t been by there since I took the photo. Sorry I can’t answer your question. Appreciate your kind remarks however!
I managed this theater for a short time back in the early 1960’s. I took quite a few photos of it, and it’s sister drive-in down the road [ East Windser Drive-In] but lost them in a flood condition in the 1990’s. Any chance of anyone out there having any photos taken in or around either of theaters that they’d like to share?
Thank you for your reply Don.