What Does the Future Hold for the Skowhegan Drive-In?

For decades, drive-in movie theaters were the kings of family entertainment.

At their peak, there were thousands of them across the country.  Even Maine had dozens of them.  According to Southern Maine on the Cheap, there were 39 drive-in theaters in Maine in the 1950s and '60s.

Sadly, those days are behind us.  Cable/satellite TV and movie rentals basically destroyed the drive-in business, and took a chunk out of the regular movie theater business.

Because of the need for social distancing, drive-in theaters did see a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic, but that did not last long.

Now, there are only a few drive-in theaters left in New England.

In September of 2023, we lost another one.

The Skowhegan Drive-In was truly iconic.  It served the people of Central Maine for 70 seasons after first opening in 1954.  However, after struggling for the last few years, the historic drive-in showed its final movies over Labor Day weekend.

What does the future hold for the Skowhegan Drive-In?

Currently, the property is for sale.

Following the theater's closure, the sign and projector equipment were removed, but the projector/snack bar building and screen remain.

If you want to spend the money, it could be converted back into a movie theater, but it is listed as being an 11.23-acre lot of commercial space.  It has nearly 500 feet of frontage along busy Route 201.

The current list price is just over $300,000.

As of June 2024, it looks like the property is under contract.  There is no word on who is trying to purchase the property or what they have planned for it.

Things could change, though.  If you are interested, you can get more details HERE.

What would you do with the property?  Would you keep it a drive-in?  Would you turn it into an ATV park?  Or, would you try to get it rezoned and build a housing development?  Let us know by sending us a message inside our app.