MUSKEGON, Mich. — On Wednesday, the Getty Drive-In is opening for its 80th season in Muskegon. The summer staple is keeping all of its old-school favorites, and adding a few new features.
Since last season, the theater updated their sound and projection technology for a better moviegoing experience, but the audio will still be broadcasted through FM radio and movies will be projected onto the big screen, bringing that classic drive-in feel.
Emily Loeks with the Getty Drive-In said those updates to the experience were very intentional.
"There are some things that are important to update, and there are some things that we just try to keep the magic and keep it just the same way that it was," she said.
Drive-in theaters first began in the 1940s, and the Getty has been running since 1944. Loeks said it is one of the oldest drive-in theaters in the country.
"During the '50s, it hit its heyday, where there was close to 4,000 drive-in theaters in operation," she said. "And right now, there's nine left in Michigan, the Getty is one of them, we think it's the coolest."
This season, moviegoers will have a new way to order their favorite concessions snacks: Delivered right to their car. While the old-school concessions stand is still open, the new delivery option will be available starting Memorial Day weekend.
On Wednesday, April 19 and Thursday, April 20, the Getty is offering a $5 special for single-features.
During the first two weeks of the season, the Getty will be offering these double-features:
- Super Mario Bros Movie / Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
- The Pope’s Exorcist / 65
- Evil Dead Rise / Shazam
- Covenant / Creed III
The Getty will also be showing "Fast X", "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse", "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny", "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning" and "Barbie" later this summer.
To learn more about the Getty, visit their Facebook page here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.