Ford-Wyoming Drive-In

Drive-in theater in Dearborn, Michigan, United States

42°19′55″N 83°09′37″W / 42.3319°N 83.1603°W / 42.3319; -83.1603Typedrive-in theaterCapacity2500^[1]Screens5ConstructionBuilt1950OpenedMay 19, 1950; 73 years ago (1950-05-19)Years active1950-present

Ford-Wyoming Drive-In is a drive-in theater located in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. Opened in 1950, it features five screens. The property previously had nine, leading it to be declared the largest drive-in theater in the world.

History

Clark Enterprises built the Ford-Wyoming Drive-In in 1950. The theater opened for business on May 19 of that year, with a double-bill of The Man from Colorado and Road to Rio as its first attraction.^[2] Upon opening, the drive-in had the capacity for 750 cars.^[3]

Wayne Amusements purchased the drive-in in 1981 and expanded it by continuing to add screens.^[4] At its peak, the Ford-Wyoming had nine screens and a capacity of over 3,000 cars, leading it to become the largest drive-in theater in the world.^[2]^[3]

In 2006, the owners sold the land on which the sixth through ninth screens were located.^[5] This decision was made due to a decline in population of the Detroit area.^[6] The five screens have remained operational since this downsizing.^[6] This has reduced the overall capacity to 2,500 cars. It is one of nine remaining drive-in theaters in the state of Michigan, and the only one in Metro Detroit.^[1] As of 2019, the theater is owned by Charles Shafer.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "Michigan was once home to the world's largest drive-in movie theater Published: Jun. 20, 2017, 12:13 p.m." MLive. June 20, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Dearborn's Beloved Ford-Wyoming Drive-In Theatre Earns National Recognition". Corp Magazine. August 6, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
^ ^a ^b Matt Forster (2009). Backroads & Byways of Michigan: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions. The Countryman Press. p. 23.
^ Stuart Galbraith IV (2001). Motor City Marquees: A Comprehensive, Illustrated Reference to Motion Picture Theaters in the Detroit Area. McFarland Incorporated. p. 162.
^ Brian Butko, Sarah Butko (2007). Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafés, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics, & Other Road Trip Fun. Stackpole Books. p. 14.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jerilyn Jordan (June 12, 2019). "Nearly 70 years later and Dearborn's Ford-Wyoming Drive-in is still the star of the show". Metro Times. Retrieved April 17, 2022.