The last time the Starlite Drive-In changed hands, in 2016, there were five drive-in theaters left in the state of Minnesota. Today, there are four: Long Prairie, Luverne, Warren, and Starlite just outside of Litchfield. In the heyday of drive-in movie theaters, in the ’60s and ’70s, there were more than 80 drive-ins in Minnesota.
Prior to 2016, Tim Eiler had owned Starlite Drive-In for several years. Built in 1955, the drive-in theater is now in its 69th year of operation. Eiler decided in 2016 to sell the place, either as a business or just as pieces of equipment. Fortunately, the Quincer family of Wadena purchased it with plans to keep it open as a drive-in movie theater. The Quincers own the Cozy Theater in Wadena, so they already knew the business. They made some updates to the snack bar, screens, and other facilities before re-opening in the spring of 2016.
After eight years running Starlite Drive-In, the Quincers have sold the business to Michael and Michelle Maher of River Falls, Wis. The Mahers own an indoor theater there. “We run a unique, nostalgic main-street theater that focuses on creating a lower-cost, family entertainment movie theater,” they wrote on Starlite’s Facebook page to introduce themselves.
“We feel that nothing that represents American culture and nostalgia more than a drive-in theater,” they continued on Facebook. “We absolutely love everything about the Starlite Drive-In, so we want to keep it mostly the way it is, and only add to make it more inviting, and accessible to more.”
You can check current and coming movies at starlitemovies.com. They also are on Facebook, mostly with current movies and times. Admission is $9 for a double-feature; $5 for kids age 5-12. (Prices are set by movie distributors. Note that you can’t swap screens between movies; that is set by distributors as well.)
The snack bar is open with all your drive-in movie favorites, including real movie popcorn. If you haven’t been to a drive-in movie in awhile, they don’t use the big metal boxes that hang on your window (and let in mosquitoes) any more; you can hear the movie through the radio in your vehicle.
Be sure to say “hi” and “welcome” if you make it out to Starlite this season. We hope the Mahers enjoy owning and running Starlite Drive-In for many years to come!
Trivia question: What is put on drive-in movie screens to make the movies show well? (Good-quality white house paint!)