The onset of VCRs and DVDs allowed people to stay at home and watch movies, and of course television. Cars were becoming more for just transportation and more functional.
"The cruising-type culture was diminishing. "I think culturally there was a change," he said. He says a number of factors led to the steep decline in drive-in theaters in the Great Lakes state. Gary Ritzenthaler of Holly, with the help of Lansing researcher Ron Gross, compiled information on all of Michigan's past and present drive-ins on his website. Watch Video: Movie night at Capri Drive-In "We have our own little niche," said Susan Magocs, co-owner of Capri. "It's an experience you can't get anywhere else: the drive-in experience." Bygone era: How drive-in theaters became endangered Their customers aren't just people longing for nostalgia, but often families searching for a different kind of screen time and movie-going experience. In a digital age when movie consumers have more options than ever, drive-in theaters like Capri retain their charm but they're also trying to stay relevant. Now, only nine remain in the state among 317 across the country. There were once as many as 137 drive-ins in Michigan. The family-owned Capri Drive-In in Coldwater remains a slice of Americana, albeit one from a bygone era. With all the vehicle lights turned off, advertisements began to project to the screen, illuminating the parking lot. Others cozied up inside their cars or in the beds of their pickup trucks, facing a blank 150-foot-wide by 75-foot-tall screen. People paid $10 for their tickets - for a double-feature - at a drive-thru box office and parked their vehicles in front of white posts.Ī few emerged to set up blankets and lawn chairs before making a run to the snack bar for popcorn. The sun had just set over a nearby cornfield, ending a game of catch on the grass in front of the marquee with "Capri" written in neon red cursive lettering. COLDWATER - It was 53 degrees on what would be a clear and starry night in April.
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