Attending Your First Drive-In Movie Experience
The drive-in movie is a classic American summer experience! Unless you’re like me and you grew up in the city, where such a thing existed only in the movie Grease.
But never fear! I, along with the rest of the family, have now checked that off of our bucket list! We recently attended our first drive-in movie at the Amusement Park Drive-In Movie Theater in Billings, Montana.
We had a complete blast! We really weren’t sure what to expect, but overall had a really fun evening and I’ve got some tips to help you prepare for your first drive-in movie.
How do I listen to a Drive-In Movie?
As I planned for our visit to the drive-in, I realized I had no idea how you listen to the movie! Are there speakers like at a regular theater? Do people leave their cars running to use the radio? What’s the deal?
So I contacted the theater to ask them. Drive-in theaters send out the audio on specific FM radio stations and we could either run our car battery to use the car speakers or use an FM radio.
We didn’t want to run our car battery for that long, so on our way out of town, we stopped at Target to pick up an FM stereo. We opted for a larger one that was also a CD player so that we wouldn’t have any problem hearing the transmission.
Here is a similar model to the one we purchased that worked really well. If we had been thinking ahead, I would have ordered this one on Amazon that is an FM radio and bluetooth speakers combined!
Will My Kids Be Able to See at a Drive-In Movie?
We were also concerned over whether or not the kids would be able to see. Should be bring them up front to sit in our laps? Keep them in their carseats? Can we see if we sit in the trunk? We weren’t sure.
The theater recommended that since we had a small SUV we should park with our trunk toward the screen and open the liftgate. I wasn’t sure how it was going to work, but when we arrived, I saw that each row had a mound to angle your car up so it’s easier to see out of the trunk.
The mound make it perfect for us to lie down in our trunk and watch the movie without our liftgate or any other cars in the way!
Is A Drive-In Movie Theater More Expensive?
It’s really not! In fact, it was much cheaper than any other movies we’ve seen recently. At the Amusement Park Drive-In Theater, we paid per person and the price was $7 per adult and $5 per child ages 5-12. So in total we paid $14, which is only a dollar more than the matinee price for one ticket at our local theater!
Most drive-ins are small family-owned businesses and the way they make their money is at the concession stand. We felt like splurging on snacks and drinks was totally worth it to support a small business and to really get the drive-in movie experience with popcorn, cotton candy and drinks all around!
What Should I Bring to A Drive-In Movie Theater?
In addition to the radio listed above there are few other things you will want to bring!
Cash is always good, because your drive-in might not accept cards. Similarly, most drive-ins are located out in the country and can have phone line or internet connectivity problems. It’s a good bet to have enough cash on hand.
Blankets and pillows are also a great idea for a drive-in so you can get nice and cozy! We folded our third row down and put a bunch of pillows back against the middle row. Then we laid down and covered up with blankets because it was a bit chilly that night.
We also saw people with lawn chairs for sitting outside your vehicle and a few trucks that set up air mattresses for their truck beds.
I would also bring card games or something else to occupy your time from when the gates open to when it is dark enough to start the movie. We had a little over an hour and spent a lot of that time walking around waiting for the sun to go down!
What are the rules at a drive-in movie theater?
There are only a couple guidelines to follow at the drive-in movie theater but they are important ones to make sure you aren’t impeding on anyone else’s ability to enjoy the movie!
The first is to park in your assigned row. Spots are first come, first served, but there are rows designated for different size vehicles.
Smaller cars go in the front few rows, vans and small SUVs in the middle and trucks and larger SUVs in the back rows. We were in the middle row and we didn’t have any obstruction to our view!
The second and most important rule is to turn off your headlights. Double check and triple check that your headlights and taillights are off before the movie starts. When even one car has their lights on it makes it difficult to see the screen.
If you happen to accidentally turn your lights on, prepare for honking and flashing lights. When we visited, someone left theirs on for a few minutes and people were getting out of their cars to go find the offender and remind them that there are no lights!
Other than that, sit back and enjoy the show! You don’t have to worry much about your kids being too noisy unless they are screaming and everyone wiggle and even walk over to the concessions without major disruption.
I think you’re ready for your first drive-in movie! Have a great time! Any other questions? Make sure to pop them in the comments section below!
For more family-friendly things to do in Montana, check out this post on ZooMontana.
There is nothing more American Family Summer than a road trip! If you’re setting out soon, check out these road trip tips!
