This Abandoned Drive-In Movie Theater In Nebraska Is a Blast From the Past

Remember the good old days when seeing a movie meant actually getting in a car and driving to a theater? The ultimate movie viewing experience was the drive-in. More romantic than any indoor theater, you and your sweetheart could sit in your car and be cozy while watching the latest feature. Unfortunately, drive-ins are all but extinct in Nebraska now. The explorers at Ghosts of North America decided to visit one of the long abandoned drive-ins: the Pine View Drive-In in Long Pine.

All images via Troy Larson/Ghosts of North America. Used with permission.

Pineview operated from 1954 to approximately 1995. It was independently owned and operated and boasted a 275-car capacity.

The ticket booth awaited as you pulled up to the property before the show.

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After paying your admission fee, you drove to an empty slot and placed the speaker, mounted on a metal pole, on your car window.

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Later, drive-ins would develop the technology to let you listen to the movie over the radio. But in Pineview's heyday, those iconic speaker boxes were the norm.

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Little ones with fidgety limbs could always get out and play with friends on the playground equipment while mom and dad snuggled up to watch the movie.

Concessions were a must, just as they are at any movie today. The concession stand was a short walk from where the cars were parked.

The Pineview screen is made entirely of wood - a throwback to a time of simple and sturdy construction. Since the drive-in's closing, it has been left to the elements. The lot is overgrown and protected by a fence to keep trespassers away.

Sadly, no movies will ever grace this screen again. But those who attended movies at the drive-in have fond memories of fun nights watching the stars on the screen under the stars in the sky.

Did you ever see a movie at the Pineview? What is your best memory from your visits there? Please share your experiences in the comments!