This Abandoned Looking Drive-In Movie Theater in Pennsylvania Is Actually Still Operating

On roads on Route 52 near Dillsburg, Pennsylvania are bleak, dotted with strip mall upon strip mall and an occasional factory. One exception is a seemingly abandoned drive-in movie theater–tipped off by a large red HAAR’S DRIVE IN plastered on a billboard at the side of the highway.

A  line of old 50’s-esque lights line a long driveway leading to the theater’s exit with a large white overpass. Neon lights spelling out Exit, remnants from a bygone era, adorn the backside. Old glass signs, numbered, sit at each row marking the place for the cars. The large screen still rests, looking incongruously new amidst its surroundings.

Upon further investigation, it became clear that Haar’s Drive-In is simply closed for the season and will indeed reopen in the spring. The Drive-In has been open for a whopping 60 years, with an auction house open for 65 years. For the past 22 years, Haar’s has even sold antiques. There’s also a fully stocked concession stand with hotdogs, hamburgers, popcorn and soda. The theater is a reminder of a forgotten American suburban lifestyle, much of which remains across this vast country.

Be sure to check out other repurposed and forgotten theaters, specifically 10 of those along Broadway in Manhattan. Also check out the grandeur of a late 1920s movie theater in Queens.

Get in touch with the author @spencercnyc