The first drive-in movie theater opened in 1933.
After nearly 9 decades later, they are still around and are more popular now than ever due to the pandemic and social distancing policies.
There is something about sharing a screen with a big audience with dozens of cars nearby on a summer night that is still very appealing.
Luckily, many of these Drive-in theater are gaining in popularity and are popping up in many cities and neighborhoods in LA.
Don’t forget to bring a portable FM radio or you’ll have to leave your car on the entire time to stream the audio of the movies through your FM radio!
In this post, I’ll share with you 9 locations and a brief overview of these drive-in movie theaters in Los Angeles.
The map below shows the location of every drive-in theater mentioned in this article:
Electric Dusk Drive-In
Address: 236 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203
Website: https://www.electricduskdrivein.com/
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The Electric Dusk Drive-In is located right in the heart of Glendale, between Central and Orange.
If you have parked at the Old Sears Parking lot, you’ll know exactly where it is.
Movies start around 8 pm and ticket fees include a base cost for car and driver, with additional cost for each passenger.
You can find more about their schedule of movies at their website.
They show classic favorites like Reservoir Dogs, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Toy Story 3.
Paramount Drive-In
Address: 7770 Rosecrans Ave, Paramount, CA 90723
Website: https://www.paramountdrivein.com/
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Paramount Drive-In is located in Paramount, east of Compton.
They have two showings daily, one at 7:40 pm and the other at 10:40 pm. They play the latest movie hits.
Paramount Drive-In offers the traditional fee structure for movie goers.
Adults pay regular price for general administration everyday, children 5-8 pay a discount rate, and children under 4 gets in for free.
All tickets are purchased in person, they don’t offer any online ticket sale and have concession for sale.
Vineland Drive-in Theater
Address: 443 Vineland Ave, City of Industry, CA 91746
Website: https://www.vinelanddriveintheater.com/
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Another nearby Drive-In theater is Vineland. Vineland Drive-In theater offers two different movie viewings at 7:45 pm daily.
They have a nice balance Rate PG and Rated R movies. They offer some of the latest movie such as: like The Girl Who Believes in Miracles, Every Breath You Take, City of Lies, and many more.
Like Paramount Drive-In, Vineland Drive-In offers adults regular price for general administration, children 5-8 pay a discounted rate, and children under 4 gets in for free.
The Roadium
Address: 2500 W. Redondo Beach Blvd, Torrance, CA 90504
Website: http://roadium.com/
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For 7 day a week, the Roadium is actually a huge swap meet in the South Bay, but on Friday nights, it transforms into a fun family friendly drive-in theater.
The Roadium just charge by the flat vehicle fee.
Some past shows include family classic favorite like: Spider man into the Spider-Verse, The Rascals, The Parent Trap, etc.
They have one showing on Fridays starting at 7:00 pm and gates open at 6 pm. Tickets can be purchase online via Eventbrite.
All information can be found in their website.
Street Food Cinema
Headquarter address: 1617 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041
Website: https://streetfoodcinema.com/
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Street Food Cinema is a pop up Drive-In that offers movie goers showings in various parts of Los Angeles, with showings in Glendale, Arcadia, and Pasadena.
Pre-pandemic, Street Food Cinema offers outside movie experience.
During the pandemic, however, Street Food Cinema provides Drive-In experiences.
Their movie starts at 8:15 pm with gates open at 6:15 pm. No ticket will be sold at the door, but must be purchase online before the event.
Cars pay a fix fee to enter with driver and passengers paying additional fees. Children under 3 years old can enter for free.
The Cinelounge Drive-in Hollywood
Address: 1625 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Website: https://arenascreen.com/
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Cinelounge Drive-in is a popular theater for locals and even the occasional movie star has visited it.
They still have a picture of Jack Nicholson when he visited them 10 years ago.
They provide a variety of movie experiences including: drive-in, rooftop viewing, and in-house.
They offer some of the latest and biggest movie showings like Godzilla Vs. Kong, Bang! Bang!
The Rookies and cult-following film like The Big Lebowski.
They have a flat fee for all adults with a charge for cars and drivers already built in.
WE Drive-Ins
Address: 302 Colorado Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website: https://www.wedriveins.com/
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WE Drive-Ins theater is located in Santa Monica with some of the latest movie showings like Godzilla Vs. Kong.
They also partner with a couple of third party delivery services to provide various food and concession items for purchase during your movie watching experience.
There is a separate cost for Sedan under 5 feet and SUVs/Trucks/Minivans under 6.5 feet.
All tickets can be purchased online.
Rooftop Cinema Club
The Drive-in at Santa Monica Airport
Address: 3233 Donald Douglas Loop S, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website: https://rooftopcinemaclub.com/los-angeles/venue/the-drive-in-at-santa-monica-airport/
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For those who live in Santa Monica, you actually have another Drive-in theater to choose from!
The Drive-In at Santa Monica Airport offers lots of parking spaces with tickets sold for a minimum of two people or more people.
They provide discounts for 3 or more individuals per car.
Children under 8 years old get to watch for free; this is a great deal for families!
With 2 showings per night (one at 8:30 pm and the other at 11:00 pm), and movies playing 4-5 days out of the week, the Drive-In offers many options to come watch that classic 90’s, musical, or family flick.