Sunset Drive-in Theatre

The Sunset Drive-in Theatre has always been a favorite San Luis Obispo, CA community attraction. Family-friendly, big-screen theater with concession stand, offering 2 new releases every night. The location is on Avenue D, across from the Gas Lamp District shopping center. Hours are Monday through Saturday, and Sunday only open for an hour early in the morning. Second week of May will see the Reel Lagoon show again.

The history of the drive-in starts in 1917. Harry W. Shore, a carpenter by trade, decided to rent space on a corner of Avenue D in San Luis Obispo for the sole purpose of displaying African American movies. The drive-in was called The Movie Motel. It would remain the only "drive-in" in the county. As word of the business started to spread, others followed suit, and today there are about five dozen "motels" in the county.

A quick trip down memory lane reminds us that this was an early twenty-first century drive-in, with wood-paneled wooden doors and plush seats. It was not a real movie theater, but more of an informal gathering place for neighborhood youngsters to enjoy a summer evening. The theater was not yet equipped with lighting or sound. Even the stage was wooden and the chairs were cushioned with soft fabric.

If you want to know more about Sunset Drive-in Theatre, do a quick search online. You will find that there are a number of web sites that have photographs, information, and videos of the Sunset Drive-in Theatre. If you are unfamiliar with drive-ins, you may want to read some about the subject. A popular book about the subject was published in 1980 by Robert J. Davis. The author, Robert Davis, is an expert on all things related to drive-in theaters.

Some people still remember sitting in the drive-in and watching Saturday night movies. Others may have only heard about the building and its history. There are many stories about the building and one of the most famous is the one about a lady who rented a room at the building to perform in during the week. When the man she was renting the room from would not allow her to perform, she supposedly used the seat as a shield to hide her identity. She got away with it for a few weeks until a detective caught her and she was sent to prison for fourteen years.

The building was destroyed by a fire but has now been rebuilt. The owner hopes to one day restore it to its former glory. If you want to know more about Sunset Drive-in Theatre, do a search online. You might also want to visit the website about the theatre for additional information about the history.