Nostalgia was the star of the show at Fort Worth’s drive-in theaters

Nostalgia was the star of the show at Fort Worth's drive-in theaters

Published on June 08, 2026

Welcome to the down-home comfort of your neighborhood drive-in theater, circa 1965.

As drivers pull up to the ticket booth, uniformed attendants wave flashlights toward an expansive gravel lot. The place smells like buttered popcorn, a hint of cigarette smoke, damp grass and hot automobile engines cooling in the sunset.

Kids in pajamas race toward the playground beneath the giant screen while parents unfold aluminum lawn chairs beside station wagons. The movie can't begin until the sky fully darkens, so there's ample time to dive into snacks smuggled in from home. Bug spray will come in handy. Teenagers come mainly to flirt.

Every parking space has a metal speaker hanging from a pole. Pull it off the hook and clip it onto the rolled-down driver's window. The speakers crackle and hum softly before the previews begin.

Grab your picnic blankets, Fort Worth

By 1963, drive-ins were everywhere in Texas, part of a nationwide boom that peaked in the late 1950s and early '60s. Fort Worth had a surprisingly large number of drive-in theaters, especially from the late 1940s through the 1970s. Most have crumbled by now, but longtime Fort Worth residents remember the giant screens glowing above the North Texas prairie at night.

Which of these Fort Worth drive-ins do you remember?

Fort Worth Twin Drive-In. Located at about 1931 Bomar Ave., near I-30 on the east side. It opened in 1953 and became one of the city's best-known drive-ins. For years after it closed, the decrepit twin screens were still visible from the freeway.

Corral Drive-In. Originally called the Jacksboro Drive-In, this theater stood at 6300 Lake Worth Blvd. near today's Lake Worth commercial corridor. It opened in 1949.

Mansfield Twin Drive-In. At 2935 E. Seminary Drive along the old Mansfield Highway corridor. It began as the Mansfield Road Drive-In in 1950, later becoming a twin-screen operation after a fire destroyed the original structure in 1969. It survived until 1992.

Cowtown Drive-In. Near the Northside/Stockyards area. It operated into the 1980s and is often remembered as Fort Worth's last classic-era drive-in. The Cowtown was known for "long-legged cowgirls dressed in Texas regalia" greeting customers in its early years.

A few other lesser-known or short-lived drive-ins also operated around Tarrant County over the years, especially along the highways leading out of town toward Dallas, Weatherford and Cleburne. Like many Texas drive-ins, most disappeared as land values rose and indoor multiplexes became all the rage in the 1970s.

One interesting historical detail: Texas once had more drive-in theaters than any other state.

A modern revival

Coyote Drive-In opened in 2013 on Panther Island near the Stockyards, bringing the outdoor movie concept back to Fort Worth after screens had sat dark for decades. It combines first-run movies with food, concerts and outdoor events.

While the sun still needs to set before showtime, movies at Coyote are delivered using laser film projection, which delivers a high-definition experience so viewers can revel in all the on-screen action.

Good to know: The place is pet-friendly, so bring your leashed, furry family members to experience Hollywood magic.

Photo: The Pike Drive-In opened on East Lancaster Avenue Oct. 25, 1947, with Jeanne Crain in "State Fair." It went out of business in the 1960s and was later demolished.

Photo: The Meadowbrook Drive-In, 1643 Riverside Drive, had a capacity for 700 cars and seating for 500 patrons on the patio. It closed in 1987.

Photo: Coyote Drive-In offers showings of Hollywood blockbusters and classic fan favorites.

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