Original Wisconsin Drive-in Theater Newspaper Ads

     The links on this page are to ORIGINAL newspaper ads straight from that days newspaper for the drive-ins listed below. There were no microfilm copies used in the making of this web site.  Some of these ads are dated back to 1940. Again these are ALL ORIGINAL newspaper ads.  ABSOLUTELY NO microfilm copies were used.  If using any of these ads for reference on other works or web sites, please give credit to myself or this web site.  Thank you. 

(NOTE: The following two symbols only relate to how I placed drive-in ads found on this page and not how they are used elsewhere on this site.)

  = New drive-in theater movie ads were added to that particular theater.

= If this symbol is next to any of these theaters listed on this page, then it is a new drive-in that I have found ads for.  If it is listed on the page of that particular theater, then that individual drive-in ad in a new one.

** If anyone has old  newspapers that they would like to contribute to this page, my book, or both, please contact me **

 

Antigo Drive-in - Antigo

41 Outdoor - Appleton 

Bluemound Drive-in - Brookfield   My oldest drive-in ad from Wisconsin, June 2, 1940!

Victory Drive-in - Butler

Lakes Outdoor - Delavan

Lake Park Outdoor - Fond Du Lac

41 Twin - Franklin 

Port Outdoor (1953-1955) / 57 Outdoor (1956-1985) - Grafton
Originally opened as the Port Outdoor Theatre, the name changed to the 57 Outdoor when reopening in 1956.

Starlite Outdoor- Green Bay

Valley Outdoor - Green Bay

26 Outdoor - Janesville

Mid-City Outdoor - Janesville

18 Outdoor - Jefferson, WI

Northstar Drive-in - La Crosse

Starlite Drive-in - La Crosse

Delton Outdoor - Lake Delton

Tower Outdoor - Little Chute

Badger Outdoor - Madison 

Big Sky Drive-in - Madison

10-13 Motor Movie - Marshfield

Starlite Outdoor - Menomonee Falls  

Sky-Vu - Monroe

24 Outdoor - Muskego

15 Outdoor - New Berlin

16 Outdoor - Oconomowoc

44 Outdoor - Oshkosh   

51/16 Drive-in - Portage

Mid-City Outdoor - Racine

Racine Outdoor (1949-1952) /
Westgate Outdoor (1952-1978) - Racine

Originally opened as the Racine Outdoor theatre in 1949, but came under new management and name change in 1952.

33 Outdoor - Reedsburg

53 Auto Vue - Rice Lake

Rouman Drive-in - Rhinelander 

Ripon Outdoor (1954-1969) / 23 Outdoor (1970-1981) - Ripon
Marcus Theatres changed the name to the 23 Outdoor upon opening for the season in 1970

Shawano Outdoor - Shawano

Stardusk Outdoor - Sheboygan

Slinger Outdoor- Slinger

Palmote Drive-in - Spooner

59 Outdoor - Waukesha

Hwy 29 Drive-in - Wausau

Shara Outdoor - Wautoma

Winnebago Drive-in (1953-1980) /
Dells Drive-in (1981-1992) /
Big Sky Drive-in (1993-Present) - Wisconsin Dells

Confusing??  Not really.  This drive-in originally opened as the Winnebago and eventually became the Dells Drive-in after Don LeGros bought it in 1981.  He then changed the name again upon reopening in 1993. 

Hwy 13 Outdoor - Wisconsin Rapids