With only a handful of drive-in movie theaters left in the country many nostalgic movie buffs have reason to cheer as a once closed drive-in reopens, although with a twist, because this drive-in has a day job as the Hi-Way Haven RV Park in Sutherlin, Oregon.
Operating year round the Hi-Way Haven RV Park offers guests the ability to stay daily, weekly, or monthly at the park. In operation since 1988 the park has long been considered a premier destination stop for many full time RV enthusiasts but now offers something unique to it’s guests.
“As a kid growing up in rural Oregon, I have fond memories of going to the drive-in movie with my folks but over the years they have all but disappeared†says Jim Remley, the new owner of the park. “I wanted to offer families the opportunity to share a drive-in movie experience with their kids. My 9 year old son loves it!â€
Remley an Oregon native purchased the Hi-Way Haven RV Park in January after leasing the land since September 2005, and was inspired to return the park to its original roots as a local landmark — the Cloverleaf Drive-In. “I actually went to the movies here many times as kid,†added Remley.
Guests of the 100 site park can now live at the movies while watching classic films from the comfort of their own RV. But as Remley quickly points out many guests prefer watching from their cars the old fashioned way.
Using a 1600 lumens LCD projector, a laptop computer, and an FM transmitter Remley has used modern technology to provide guests with something that is hard to find in today’s ultra modern movie theaters, a good time.
Drive-In theaters peaked in the United States in the late 1950’s with over 5000 theaters operating across the country. Today only four remain operating in Oregon. Remley received his license to show classic films from the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, which grants him the ability to show films from many of the top film libraries as long as he meets some basic guidelines.
“We won’t be competing with local theaters our movies will strictly be for the guests of the park, and we will only show movies that are fun to watch at a drive-in. For instance we have already shown the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Rear Window, and the original War of the Worlds. This month we will be playing Rio Bravo with John Wayne.†[PRWEB]
tagTRAX: drive in movie theaters | rv park | sutherlin oregon | full time rv | rv enthusiasts
When I read about how you provided people with a lost piece of American heritage you aroused my interest on how I could start something similiar to that in my own south Texas town. Due that I am not that technologicaly inclined my first questions are how difficul is starting something like that and what is the overall monetary cost of licencing and especialy the cost of the equipment?
Thank you for your info and a big Texas handshake to you!