#99 – Boulevard Drive-In Theater
1051 Merriam Ln, Kansas City, KS 66103
Cost: $
Features: Concessions, bathrooms, playground, two-feature showings.
Good for: Nostalgia.
Tip: Bring cash for entry.
The Boulevard Drive-In Theater is a historic drive-in movie theater in the heart of Kansas City. It opened in the 1950s and has since expanded to include a swap and shop market during the weekend days.
History of Boulevard Drive-In Theater
The drive-in opened in the 1950s with a small wooden screen and 600 speakers. They added another 100 speakers soon after, though they were removed in the 70s. The drive-in’s original screen blew over in a windstorm in 1971, and was replaced with an all metal screen, 75 feet high and 100 feet wide. It is still in use today, though it has to be repainted every four to five years.
Today, the Boulevard Drive-In Theater is still going strong, and is one of two remaining drive-in movie theaters in the Kansas City metro.
Showings Boulevard Drive-In Theater
Showings at the drive-in are only shown on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. We went on Friday night to see The Incredibles 2 and The Wrinkle in Time.
Admission is $10 cash per person, which seemed a little pricey. But overall, about what you’d pay at a normal theater and you can see two movies if you want to stay late.
Like Shakespeare in the Park, it is recommended that you get there early, if you want a good spot. This is good advice to take. We went on a HOT summer night, and I assumed a close spot wouldn’t be an issue. It was. We parked in one of the furthest rows, but were still able to see just fine.
The Drive-In does have a snack bar, but the line before the movie was crazy long. You can also bring in your own food and drinks.
Our showing began at 9:20pm, with the second showing starting around 11:45pm. We weren’t interesting in staying for the second movie, so we left in between, which was pretty hectic. It probably took 30+ minutes to get out of the parking lot (it felt just like a Royals or Chiefs game).
Some Google reviews sad that darker scenes of movies were a little hard to see, which is totally true. Most of the Incredibles 2 was bright enough, but I heard the latest Star Wars movie was rough.
I had never been to a drive-in before and the Boulevard Drive-In Theater lived up to my expectations. Such a fun activity for a summer night! xx, Libbie.