A Hot Texas Night Gets Better With A Drive-In

Summer Nights And Drive-Ins

Time now on in wheel time to see where the roads can take us. Now, down here in Texas, it's still hot, and even as the sun goes down, it gets hot, but it does try and cool off a little bit. So, what are you gonna do? You know, you're looking for something to do, you'd like to be outside. What about a drive-in movie? When was the last time you went? A lot of people have never been to a drive-in movie, they miss out on all the idea, the fun of seeing how many people you can cram in a car so that you can pay one price for a whole car load and you get there and you find all your friends. Uh, if you've ever seen the movie Greece, they've got a big uh drive-in movie session there, and it's not quite like that. It was pretty cool back then. And Texas has still got quite a few places you can go and find a drive-in. So here are some drive-in theaters that we're putting on our road trip list.

Galaxy Drive-In Near Dallas

The Galaxy Drive-in in Innes. If size matters, the Galaxy Drive-in in Innes is hard to beat. Just off I-45, south of Dallas, the Galaxy has multiple screens showing a mix of current movies and occasional classics. So there is usually something for everybody there. It's more than just pulling into a parking space and watching a movie. There are concessions, but there's plenty of room, and that familiar drive-in feeling of watching the sky get dark while you're waiting on the first feature. It's all there. For a movie night that can become a road trip, the galaxy is a great place to start.

Stars And Stripes Retro Experience

Stars and Stripes drive in in New Bronzewells. Now you can head on down to Wards, New Bronzeville's, and you'll find the Stars and Stripes. Now, this is another multi-screen drive-in that leans into the classic 1950s movie night experience. There's a retro themed cafe, multiple screens, and plenty of room for families to settle in. You can watch from the car, or once things cool off, you can get outside, maybe a lawn chair, uh, enjoy the night air, a blanket on the ground. And being in New Bronzeville's means the drive itself can be part of the destination, especially if you turn the movie into an overnight getaway. I did have the opportunity to go here. I was on the hot rod tour of Texas. They made a stop there. They had one of the screens reserved, smoky in the bandit was on, a lot of people in costumes. The whole parking lot was nothing but hot rods. The 200 plus, I think, were there that night. It was great. The ladies were in the lawn chairs. A couple of them had some blankets or jackets on because the weather was cool. It was great.

Big Sky Views Near Midland

Next, we're going to go out west out to Midland. If you want to combine a movie with a little West Texas scenery, put the Big Sky Drive-in near Midland on the list. The name is pretty appropriate because the Big West Texas sky becomes part of the show. Big Sky has multiple screens and the traditional drive-in setup with movies transmitted to your car radio, not hanging on the window like they used to. So that makes it really cool, makes it a lot nicer. Sounds better for sure. So bring some lawn chairs or a blanket and grab some concessions and watch the sun disappear. Sometimes the road trip is as much fun as the destination.

Old-School Single-Screen Classics

Up next, we got the Graham Drive-in in Graham. The Graham Drive-In in Graham, Texas. For something a little more old school, the Graham Drive-in is hard to overlook. It opened in 1948, and it is recognized as the oldest continually operating drive-in in Texas. It is a single-screen theater, but that's part of the charm. This is the kind of place where you can arrive early, you get settled in, grab something from the concession stand, and watch the evening unfold before the movie begins. So if you're looking for a destination that feels like stepping back in time, this belongs on the list. And then there's the Brazus Drive-in in Granbury, which has been welcoming moviegoers since 1952. So this is another single-screen theater, but don't let it fool you because that's the whole point here. That's part of the experience. Go here, you can see a double feature, get some concessions, you're in your own car, and a Texas evening under the sky. What more could you ask for? Then you add in Granberry's historic downtown and the lake country, and you've got the makings of a pretty good weekend road trip. Sometimes slowing down is exactly what a road trip needs.

More Texas Drive-Ins And Planning Tips

Now that's just five of them to start with. Now there's plenty of other drive-in theaters across uh Texas. There's one up in Amarillo. Doc's drive-in is in Buda, south of Austin. The last drive-in picture show is still up in Gatesville. The showboat drive-in is in Hockley, and there's there's some more of them out there. You just got to check the schedule. When you find it, look at the schedule because not all of them are running seven days a week. Some of them only on run Wednesday through Sunday or Thursday through Sunday. So the next time somebody says there's nothing to do on a hot Texas summer night, you might just have a better answer. Find a road, find a drive in, and see where that road is going to take you.