Midway Drive In Theater Demolition

Taken in October of 2005. This was taken just moments before the big screen came down. The Midway Drive In was on Pacific Highway South in Kent Washington. The original drive in was built in 1940 (it was the first in the northwestern portion of the United States) as the Northwest Motor-In but was demolished in the late 1960s to add a widescreen as well as a new snack bar. The theater played movies until 1990. It was also used as a Swap Meet for over 30 years as well until it was demolished.
A Lowes hardware store was built on the site.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Midway
• timbabcock
• kent
• washington

[hikernut1968]

Thanks for this great video! I am 41 and have many great memories of drive- ins. I grew up in Upstate New York and we had the Commercial drive-in on Commercial drive, in New Hartford NY. Sadly, I was a 8th grader when that came down, although then we went to a twin screen in nearby Utica, ny- I bet that is gone now too- sad. btw- there is another drive in on I-5 near Seattle, called puget sound drive in- it just ended its last season last fall, and a hospital is buying the land- sad:(

[timbabcock]

Wow I didn't even know that the Puget Park was shutting down and I some family that live nearby there. There was an article in the Seattle paper the other day the drive in at Oak Harbor. The owner wasn't paying the taxes on it. I hope they don't confiscate it.

[timbabcock]

I gotta admit though the view does look nicer with the drive in gone. You can see Mt. Rainier from the highway now.

[timbabcock]

I got the info about it being the "first drive in west of the Mississippi" from data from the Federal Way Historical Society. The information from the society is incorrect. Pegbars is correct. One of these days I'll let the historical society know of the error. It was the first Drive In in the Pacific Northwest.

[sirrobyn0]

Continued from last comment: Since 1990 there has been little if any maintenance done at the Valley drive in, since it has been slatted to close anytime since ``1990.  The place is in horrible shape, right down to leak roofs and screens that are more green than white. But historically I love going to this place, it has all the old trademarks of a United Theatre drive in. From the brown picket fencing to the Cine-Fi AM sound. If your into history this is a great place, but 2012 maybe the last

[sirrobyn0]

There is some interesting corperate history here too. The midway drive in was part of the once large United Theatre chain (which mostly ran drive in theatres. In 1990 United theatre had one main goal, redevelop there drive ins into something else. Many of there drive ins closed in the early 1990's the ones that remained started to fall into terrible disrepair. Today 11-2011 there is one remaining theatre operated by United theatre, the valley 6 drive in auburn

[RUSS30776]

There goes another piece of history demolished by idiots

[stinkpotbaby]

I can understand some of what he said.

[cathole612]

lowes sucks!

[jdstarlit27]

Thank you for preserving the memory of the MIDWAY.

[dunbarGirl007]

Yes. I agree.  Posting videos like this is a nice way of preserving history. Four of 5 Stars. Nice commentary.

[driveinnut61]

CONTINUED....That back screen is especially cool, they way it looks like with a paint job it could spring back to life. I timbabcock.greatly admire you for posting this video, Otherwise, how could all of us drive in geeks have seen it? I'm reminded of a story. Me & my bro used to go on trips up old US27 in Michigan. There was a race track with and old D.I. tic booth & a marquee that looked like a transplant from a closed down D.I. When I finally brought a camera they were gone. HISTORY? You bet