An entertainment favorite of bygone days, drive-in theaters recapture that retro appeal of watching a flick under the stars. So stretch your legs, dine in your car—on popcorn or an entire meal—and tune the radio to just the right station. You’re in for an evening of movie magic in the Hudson Valley. Be sure to check drive-ins’ websites or Facebook pages for openings and updates.
Albany County
Jericho Drive-In and Twist Ice Cream Shoppe
Glenmont
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For residents of the Albany area, Jericho Drive-In is the only place to be come summer. It showcases double features nightly, so there’s always an excuse for a movie night. The Capital Region theater is also home to Twist Ice Cream Shoppe, which is perhaps best known for the “Jericho Sundae,” an over-the-top concoction of chocolate and vanilla twist soft-serve layered with bananas, peanut butter sauce, caramel, and hot fudge sauce, then topped with nuts, chocolate sprinkles, and a Reese’s peanut butter cup. The venue also hosts live concerts and private events.
Dutchess County
Four Brothers Drive-In
Amenia
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Owned by the folks who run the popular Four Brothers restaurant chain, Four Brothers Drive-In is a one-stop shop for nostalgia, with a few modern twists. The theater is open seven days a week, rain or shine, and runs family-friendly double features of new releases and old favorites. There are plenty of food and drink options—from the snack shop to the Four Brothers restaurant for online or in-person ordering—plus a mini-golf course, pergola, Mastodon skeleton cast, and family swing. Unsurprisingly, the food leans on the somewhat more gourmet side, with lobster rolls and cocktails on the lineup.
Uniquely, Four Brothers has its own EV vehicle charging stations and overnight accommodations at Hotel Caravana—a souped-up airstream—and tent camping spots. Pets are welcome.
Overlook Drive-In
Poughkeepsie
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Established in 1955—and run by the same family that owned the now-shuttered Hyde Park Drive-In—Overlook has a screen that’s as tall as a six-story building and just so happens to be the largest screen in the tri-state area. As many as 750 cars can park to catch double features on Fridays through Mondays and chow down on popcorn buckets, especially during peak season. On top of popcorn, the concession stand also serves pizza rolls, chicken tenders, and soft pretzels, among other bites. P.S. Mondays mean discounted tickets!
Greene County
Greenville Drive-In
Greenville
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Located in Greenville, the eponymous outdoor theater boasts an 85-food screen and has been part of the Hudson Valley community since 1959. In addition to showing weekend film screenings on Thursdays through Sundays, the spot also houses a snack shack and beer garden. Based on a traditional German biergarten, the site can accommodate more than 200 cars and features locally produced beer, wine, and spirits (served until 30 minutes before the end of a movie), plenty of outdoor seating, and a stage for live music. The venue focuses on independent, retro, and filmmaker-direct works, with special screenings for classics throughout the season. What’s more, a vintage Airstream RV is onsite to provide accommodations for movie-goers.
Hi-Way Drive-In
Coxsackie
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“It’s not a movie, it’s a movie experience” is the tagline of this theater. Located between Catskill and Coxsackie, it has been in business since 1951. Four big screens each show a different double feature every Friday through Sunday, ranging from kid-friendly films to blockbuster action and horror movies. If you love popular titles and the latest releases, this is the spot for you. Plus, as far as snacks go, expect all the classic fixings like candy, nachos, and popcorn, as well as warm bites like hamburgers and hot dogs.
Orange County
Fair Oaks Drive-In Theater
Middletown
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This beautiful, classic drive-in is located in the heart of Middletown and even has made-to-order food. You could simply snag some popcorn, but if hunger strikes in a big way, there are also burgers, fries, mozzarella sticks, hot dogs, pizza rolls, chicken tenders, fried pickles, empanadas, and even cheesesteaks. As for the movies themselves, Fair Oaks screens classic cinema as well as new releases as part of the nightly double features that flicker to life on its two screens.
Warwick Drive-In
Warwick
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Established in 1950, the Warwick Drive-In continues to show top flicks to movie-loving Hudson Valley patrons, rain or shine. This three-screen venue runs up to six flicks, seven nights a week. What’s more, hungry visitors can order freshly prepared hot food, like popcorn chicken and nachos, along with other classic snack shop items. Additionally, radios can be rented for a small fee of $5.
Rensselaer County
Hathaway’s Drive-In
North Hoosick
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For screenings, snacks, and sweets, park your car at Hathaway’s and let yourself relax into a night of thrills…or comedy or action…or whatever the many movies at this drive-in have in store. The venue is one of New York State’s oldest continuously operated drive-ins, dating back to 1948. It’s open Fridays through Sundays, during which time it shows two movies on separate screens. The hot food menu goes above and beyond your typical movie theater fare, with options like hand-cut fries, soft pretzels, BLTs, ice cream sandwiches veggie burgers, pizza rolls, and even a fish ‘n’ chips dinner.
Hollywood Drive-In
Averill Park
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The Hollywood has a lengthy history in the Hudson Valley, with origins that extend to 1952 and the same ownership since 1968. Nowadays, it holds close to 400 cars for its nightly screenings, with a 36-inch by 88-inch screen for local viewing pleasure. The drive-in’s grounds feature a newly remodeled concession building with an expanded menu and prizes (free movie passes stuffed in popcorn boxes, anyone?).
This story first ran in our May 2016 print issue and is updated annually online. A version of this appeared in our August 2024 print issue.
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