There was a certain sort of magic about the drive-in movie theaters of the past. Something about the gravel that crunched beneath the tires of the vehicle or beneath the Ked-clad feet was special. In the open air, delicious aromas wafted from the snack shack (concession stand) - smells of popcorn or coney dogs or other treats. Families could pile into the car for a relatively low budget night at the movies. Some families brought blankets or lawn chairs. Others brought three generations of the family. Small fry slept in the back seat and young couples smooched in the sweet, still night air. For most Americans, drive-in theaters are a thing of the past, just a nostalgic memory of the way things used to be.

Route 66 Drive-In

In Carthage, Missouri, however, in the southwest corner of the Show-Me State, drive-in movies are alive and thriving at the Route 66 Drive-In Theatre. Located at 17231 Old 66 Boulevard in Carthage, the drive-in's location was once along the route often called "America's Main Street". Generations of Americans, including the Baby Boomer generation, got their kicks on Route 66, one of the first highways to cross the nation. More than 4,000 drive-in theaters once operated in the United States but today, less than 400 remain. The Route 66 Drive-In Theatre is one of that number.

Now owned by the Mark and Dixie Goodman family, the Route 66 Drive-In was first built in 1949. Until the Goodmans reopened to the public, the last movie shown to the public was in 1985. Originally purchased to serve Goodman's previous auto salvage business, the drive-in wasn't returned to glory until 1997. Since the original equipment was included when the Goodmans bought the property, recreating the drive-in theater of yesteryear was easier than it might have been. An original marquee lined with neon, projector, and concession stand were in place. All but four of the original in-car speakers - the kind attached to poles - were gone. Early arrivals who lack a car radio vie for these four but other customers tune in the sound on their car stereos, one change from the original experience.