On July 29th, 1948, the Eugene Drive-In opens to the public of Eugene on 2860 Willamette St. It was operated by the Oregon Outdoor Theatre Company and managed by Lloyd Wirtz. It opened with screenings of the Noose Hangs high by Abbott and Costello and Where the North Begins by Chester M. Franklin (1). This drive-in theatre consisted of one screen, a kiddie playground, and a full snack bar. The price for admission was 60 cents for adults and 15 cents for children (13). There were no exact showtimes listed on the advertisement, but at the bottom of the newspaper ad it indicated that the show would start at dusk (1).
On September 11th, 1962 the Eugene Drive-In closes to the public. It was purchased by Tom Moyer of Moyer Theatres and the space was to be renovated into a shopping center, now known as the Woodfield shopping center in Eugene. Moyer Theatres was a prominent Pacific Northwest cinema chain founded by brothers Tom and Larry Moyer, operating from 1961 to the late 1980s. The theater chain grew to include nearly 300 screens across Oregon, Washington, and California before it was acquired by Act III Cinemas in 1989 (11).
(Aerial of the New Eugene Drive-In looking towards Springfield)
(Unknown boy at the Eugene Drive-In circa 1955)
However, the Eugene Drive-In re-opened one year later on July 22nd, 1963 on 1400 Henderson Ave as the NEW Eugene Drive-In! This new location was much bigger than the last measuring around 6000 Sq. Ft. with a capacity of 800 cars. This new theatre had 3 screens, a snack bar, and a playground beneath the screens for families. It opened with screenings of My Geisha by Jack Cardiff and Bachelor in Paradise by Jack Arnold (2). On a newspaper advertisement from 1963, it now shows that the New Eugene Drive-In indicates showtimes with times like a 7:00PM opening and a 7:15PM show (8)
The New Eugene Drive-in closed on August 2nd, 1987. The reasoning was never sure clear, but due to the boom of VCR, video rentals, and multi-cable television, the use of the land seemed to be too valuable to the owners, resulting in the theatre's closure. Additionally, Moyer Theatres was acquired by Act III Cinemas during this time, so that could have been a reason in its closure as well. The Marquee is still standing from the theatre’s lifetime on Henderson Ave, but the lot is now used for Lane Transit District vehicles (7).
