Monroe's Memory Lane Drive-In movie theater closes
MONROE, Mich. (FOX 2) - After four years of showing films on the big screen, a Monroe drive-in movie theater has closed for good.
Memory Lane Drive-In closed last week, according to a post from the business.
"In the last four years 35% of the remaining drive-ins in the United States have closed their doors forever, citing a combination of multiple reasons, including but not limited to poor attendance, streaming, and lack of concessions support," according to Memory Lane.
Memory Lane's owner also runs Sundance Drive-In lin Ohio, and encourages movie lovers to make the drive to support that business if they would like to visit a drive-in.
How two Lincoln Park auto mechanics built a Michigan drive-in movie theater
Once finished, the Memory Lane Drive-In Theater in Monroe County will show movies on the salvaged screen from the Pontiac Silverdome. It's but one of many features awaiting outdoor moviegoers.
The backstory:
Before it was Memory Lane, it was the Denniston Drive-In.
The Denniston closed in 1985 and sat empty until Todd Williams bought it in 2017, years after visiting a drive-in theater in Ohio while on vacation and determining that his area needed one. With the help of his co-worker and friend Don Collins, the pair got to work building a movie theater.
Memory Lane opened in May 2021 to a small crowd, but continued to draw more and more people as time progressed.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep the place up and running.
"Memory Lane has suffered the same fate for the same reasons," the owners said, referring to the struggles drive-ins from around the country have faced in recent years.