66 Drive-In Theatre

We had a man freak out on us when we stopped. Foaming at the mouth. I thought it might be a day hire person, but from another review here it sounds like it might surprisingly be the owner? All we were doing is taking a picture from in front of the main sign from the drive way. We never even attempted to enter the theatre /​grounds, not would we have because they were closed.. Just a picture with our small quiet tour group of 10 retirees outside the building /​grounds. We are a tour group that takes people down Rt 66. We only wanted to share and promote the theatre. Some disheveled mad man came running up screaming at us. We will make sure we don’t promote or stop with our tour groups ever, or our friends tour companies. Since we do classic car, motorcycle, and other tours down Rt 66, I was even thinking about arranging it so all of our guided tours, self drive tours, and tell people renting our vehicles to stop there that night and see a movie. No thank you now.
I have to say that there were a couple of tiny cones in the driveway. I thought those might be to keep big trucks or something from using the driveway as a turn around. I had no idea that an owner would not want people to stop on their little motorcycles and take pictures with the outside of the theatre /​sign in the background and have these people post the picture on facebook etc all over the world to other people looking for a great Rt 66 stop. My bad. We did have a little box truck with us, but we kept that outside the couple tiny cones, in case there was a problem with the driveway foundation etc. We were a little confused by the cones as we turned into the driveway with our Motorcycles. Not like we jumped a fence, went inside the grounds, left trash… To be clear. We did not enter or attempt to enter the theater. Just get a picture of it from the outside. And while I was not a paying customer, I was attempting to become one.

We went there this weekend to see Heaven is for real and Rio 2.
First of all, they form more than one line to get everyone through the line quickly and do a great job of it. It only cost $ 7 per adult and both our kids were in car seats so they were free. The people are always friendly and smiling even though they are hard at work.
We went a little tward the back so we could get a good view and park backwards so we could set out our chairs and let the kids run around a little bit safely. The kids loved it and so did we. The feel of the drive-​in Theatre is just wonderful and kind of took me back to when I was a child going with my family. I believe this is a special experiance that is a must for family time.
They do have a concesion stand but we brought our own food and some juice boxes and milk for the little ones, some bottled water for us. I have been told the facilities are kept up well, but have not used them myself.
I can not recomend this place enough. I just love going here, especially with the kids. I hope they have the great memories I feel now when they are older and taking their own families to the drive-​in later in life.

Very Reasonable price for 2 movies. Because it’s outdoors, it has to be late (which can make it difficult for kids).
Due to it being outdoors, it can’t be open all year (for obvious reasons).
Highly recommend it.

I’ve been coming here since elementary school. I even remember the first movie I saw: October Sky in 1999. Oh Jake Gyllenhaal *sigh* This is one of the last drive-​in theaters in the US so I’m very grateful we have one near my hometown. Admissions is only $ 7 and you get to watch two movies! They keep the parking lot very clean with plenty of trash cans. The snack bar is the bomb! Food and drink prices are soooooo much cheaper than regular theaters. It’s affordable and I’m glad to see that they’re not trying to rip off their customers. They make their money from food sales so my friends and I always try to buy something to support them.
My only complaint would be that this place is not smoke free. People can smoke anywhere they want. I have a friend who is very sensitive to cigarette smoke. There were two instances where she ended up puking violently in the bathroom when we were here. I know we are outdoors but it would be great if there was a designated smoking area so we don’t have to breathe in second hand smoke. Especially since there are lots of children around too.
During the summertime, it gets very busy. We usually get here about 2 hours before the box office opens to get first picks on the best viewing spots. Yes, we’re that serious about our drive-​in movie nights!

One of the best things about summer? Watching a movie at the drive-​in!
66 Drive-​In is a great place to come and see a movie. You get to see TWO movies for the $ 7 admission fee (admission for children costs less). 66 Drive-​In does not show rated-​R movies, and is family-​friendly.
The concession stand has a great variety and the prices are very reasonable. We LOVE the popcorn ($ 3 for a large)! They also serve BBQ sandwiches, nachos with chili and cheese, hot dogs, ice cream bars, dill pickles, and many different kinds of candy. It’s also possible to bring all of your snacks into the drive-​in, but remember that the drive-​in needs money from the concession stand to stay in business so, please, try to buy something to support the drive-​in. As I stated, the prices are very reasonable.
Here are a few tips:
1. Pay attention to where you park. Look at the row in cars in front of where you are planning to park. Is it a big truck? Is it a mini van with its rear door opened and blocking your view? Do your best to park where your view will not be obstructed by people who might not care if they are in everyone else’s way.
2. Arrive early. Last summer we drove down a few times and ended up disappointed when we were unable to get into the movie. It was sold out. Show times change based on when the sun goes down, so check the website to find out what time they start letting cars in and plan to arrive at least an hour early – especially if it is a popular movie that will have a big crowd.

I’ve heard good things about this theater from my wife, but upon visiting over Christmas, I have a new opinion. The owner is a jerk. And a very scary man. I am married and over 30, not a punk kid, I had never been to my wife’s hometown (or a drive-​in) and just wanted to peek around. 60 seconds of peeking, back into the truck, then all of a sudden a crazy-​eyed gray haired man comes running up to us demanding us to leave. I told him that the wife just wanted to show me the theater she grew up loving but he didnt care. «GET IN YOUR TRUCK AND DRIVE OFF!» Thanks buddy! Too bad we were ALREADY in the truck and ready to leave. Completely unnecessary reprimand.

This has got to be one of the funner things to do with your family or
date. Hope it never goes away. We definitely try to make it there
at least once a year. This is a high rating on a bucket list!
If u get the opportunity and pass– your loss.

This drive-​in is really nicely kept and active in the summertime. There is adequate parking space, good lighting, fencing that makes it feel secure, and a nice retro vibe that makes it a huge asset to surrounding communities. There are not a lot of these drive-​ins left in the United States and I think we kind of take this place for granted! It’s definitely a good value and their snack bar is really affordable compared to movie theater concessions. I can’t remember what we paid for popcorn, a large soda, and a Starbucks bottled iced coffee but I know the Starbucks drink was cheaper than it would be in a convenience store and the whole snack bar trip was less than a small popcorn would cost at the regular theater. They have a LARGE screen compared to other drive-​ins I have attended in the past decade. Their restrooms are very clean and plenty large for this type of place! My only complaint is the percentage of animated and family movies shown. I’ve been told by angry parents that «the drive-​in is for kids!» and I should stop whining, but I don’t agree. I think it would be cool if they alternated weekends of animated movies and «regular» movies, or something like that. I even like it when they do a family friendly live action film first and then show a second movie that is targeted for more mature audiences (drama, comedy, whatever). That’s a good way to please everyone in my opinion but I have no love for Pixar and carloads of children screaming and running back and forth, thank you very much. My best experience here was seeing Mamma Mia! which was the perfect film to watch outdoors, it lent a soaring quality to the beautiful scenery and was just a lot of fun.

I would agree with Greg G. This is one of the cheapest entertainment venues in the area. With the price of 1 adult at the ONLY movie theatre in Joplin nearing $ 10/​person, it’s much more economical to go to the drive-​in. My wife and I love going with friends and hanging out before the movies start. For 6 bucks a person and 1^st run movies, it can’t be beat.