I’ll never forget the first time I pulled into Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre in Orefield, Pennsylvania—the crackling excitement in the air, the glow of the massive screen against the night sky, and the smell of buttered popcorn wafting through my car window.
Open since 1934, Shankweiler’s is America’s oldest operating drive-in, and it’s still going strong after nearly a century.
If you’ve never experienced a movie under the stars here, you’re missing out on a piece of cinematic history that continues to shine bright in the heart of Pennsylvania.
A Pioneer Under The Stars: The Story Of America’s Oldest Drive-In
Shankweiler’s Drive-In opened its gates in 1934, making it the oldest continuously operating drive-in theater in the entire United States. That’s right—while other theaters have come and gone, this Pennsylvania gem has been showing movies for nearly 90 years. Richard Shankweiler had a vision back then, and boy, did it pay off…