Here's some free advice: if you remember going to the drive-in as a kid and want to relive a piece of your youth, don't put it off much longer. When the 41 Twin, the last drive in theater in Milwaukee, came down to make room for future developments, it got a little harder to catch a movie under the stars. Now you'll have to make the 40-minute trip west to Jefferson, where fortunately, the High-Way 18 Outdoor Theatre, is alive and kicking.
It's pretty much exactly how you remembered it. Folks pile into the station wagon and enjoy a few movies under the starlight. Many of the families leave after the first feature, as the second movie usually ends well after 1 a.m. And even on the most crowded nights, there's plenty of room to see the giant 90x40-ft. screen. The theater lot accommodates a whopping 540 cars.
In the middle of the grounds sits the snack bar, with the standard trappings you'd expect: popcorn, hot dogs, candy, etc. There's a small playground in the front of the lot (yep, just like in "Grease"). You can tune in the movie's audio on your car radio, or if you're trying to be extra-retro, you can listen in on a speaker that attaches to your window.
And you can't really argue with the prices. At just $6 for adults, $3 for kids, you get two first-run films that start at dusk. There's no more romantic (or cheap) date out there, even if it's a bit of a schlep to get to the theater. Just hop on I-94 West, take the Johnson Creek exit (Hwy 26) south to Hwy. 18 in Jefferson. Turn right, and the theater is a few miles on your left. Movies and showtimes can be found at their Web site, highway18.com or by calling (920) 674-6700
Sadly, the number of theaters in Wisconsin has dwindled to just a handful. If Jefferson isn't your cup of tea, here's a list of the remaining drive ins still open for business:
Big Sky Drive-In Theatre
Hwy 16 and 127
Wisconsin Dells
Gemini Drive-In
Just off Hwy 12 and I-94
Eau Claire
Highway 18 Drive-In Theater
2 miles west of Jefferson on Hwy 18
Jefferson
Keno Drive-In Theater
Hwy 32 at 116th St.
Kenosha
Moonlight Outdoor Theater
Hwy 22
Shawano
Sky Vu Drive-In Theater
Hwy 69
Monroe
Sky Vue
Hwy 29 and CTY J
Wausau
Skyway Drive-In
Hwy 42
Fish Creek
(920) 854-9938
Starlight 14
Hwy 14 and CTY OO
Richland Center
For more about the history of drive-in theaters in Wisconsin, check out "Movies By Starlight: The Drive-ins of Wisconsin."
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
