LANCASTER – When the late Carlos Crum opened the Skyview Drive-In to the public in 1948, drive-in movie theaters were all the rage in America. Over 3,000 existed, catering to the explosion of the American middle class that owned cars, and wanted new and exciting activities to participate in.

But 71 years later, the luster of the drive-in has become a memory of a by-gone era, of the three thousand, roughly one in ten still exist, and only nineteen are open for business in the state of Ohio.
According to Walt Effenger an employee that became the owner in 1994, the key to success in keeping the Drive-In alive has been the family friendly environment. “People came out when they were little, brought by their parents. And now they’re bringing their children out. And now the grandchildren of those people are coming out. It’s been generation after generation.”
