Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre

Not sure why everyone is complaining so much. My land, be thankful we still have a place like this in the area. This place rocks! It’s a drive in, not a darn 5 star hotel! It’s fun and it’s filled with nostalgia. Stop the lame reviews people!

Movies at the Drive-​in sounds so great in your head and by the end of the night you understand why they don’t exist anymore. Firstly they only take cash and you may not find out until you get to the front of the mile long line of cars to get in. Once we were settled in they start the movie late and the audio through the radio was filled with a monotone layer of harsh static which lasted the entire movie. We decided to wait on concessions until the line slowed down which was two lines out of the doors on both sides of the building. When the movie started the line still hadn’t gone down and I decided it would be best to get in line right then. I was in the line for over an hour and got back to the car to catch the last 10 minutes of the movie we came to see. I’m not exaggerating, I sat in the car and ten minutes later the credits were rolling, my popcorn was still full. Let’s be fair this was a Saturday night and it was opening weekend for a Disney Pixar movie so it was very busy, but they handled it beyond poorly. It’s not like they didn’t know it was happening.
It IS possible to have a good time here and this is the way to do it. Get cash from the ATM, get to the theater an hour early to get a good spot, buy the food pass to bring in your own concessions and go on an off night. Basically avoid any complications at all because they don’t have the manpower or management to successfully handle their own business.

Envision taking your family to a night at the local prison. This is the feel I get at TriWay. Be prepared to read a novel of rules and regulations once you enter the premises. I’ve gone with my husband and kids twice. The first time we were innocent enough to believe we just happened to experience an off night. We went a second time hoping it was better. It wasn’t, so we began tallying all the things we did wrong. You begin to learn the staff by name because they patrol the grounds, barking orders to everyone. It took us 3 tries to get parked the way the theatre wants it. You would get situated only to be told to you aren’t close enough, you aren’t straight enough, you need to move 1 inch forward or back, etc. God himself couldn’t satisfy these people. Forewarning: they search your car for people AND food. Concession prices are high (which is to be expected at a movie, I guess). The staff is really rude. It’s hard to hear, and the movie can be hard to see until it gets really dark. Our adventures at the TriWay never turned out to be the fun, memory making events that you dream up in your head.

I feel this place is getting an undue bad rep here. I hope this can be turned around–
After a several year hiatus from this theater I decided to stop by last night (a Monday night) to see how they were doing.
I was not disappointed by any stretch.
Before I drove out I decided to stop by here on Unilocal and see how they had been fairing with other guests. Reviews were few and less than favorable. My concern grew but I drove out anyway.
I arrived plenty early with more than an hour to get settled in. After the ticket booth was opened and the line started moving, I met with their vehicle inspector. The property checks your vehicle briefly for hidden passengers and asks if you are carrying any food of your own in. A food/​beverage permit will need to be bought to do so. Understandable considering the bulk of the minor profits they bring in is coming from their concession stand, Not admissions. I showed him the 5 hour energy drink I had stowed in the glove box to assure a safe drive home. A smile and a handshake later I bought my tickets inside with no permit required. The admissions woman also handed me their rules pamphlet. I have been there before and know what they ask of their guests. People new to the park should make a point to stop by the web page first to read it.
I selected then reselected my parking spot a few times with concern for my liftgate and my neighbor’s view. Fortunately on a Monday night the lot was not packed. After parking I found my radio station (your films audio will come from your vehicle’s radio) and headed to the concession building.
The restroom situation is the one and only reason this review is 4-​star instead of 5. Two of the stalls have no doors; a situation I didn’t think existed much outside of military boot camp. The stalls with doors are comically cramped. I nearly toppled over trying to sit down inside one. I had a good laugh at this, but I can imagine this being upsetting other guests.
The food itself was great. Certain items are standard theater fare, but some do bring a little more to the plate. The menu is pretty dang extensive and pricing doesn’t feel any worse than buying comparable food at any other theater. The counter staff was very polite and was as prompt as they could be. The turnout for a Monday night was greater than they had expected so service ran a bit slower than it could have, but it did not cost me any screen time. Once all my food arrived (spent nearly $ 50), I got set up in my Jeep and waited.
The movie experience itself was wonderful. No sound or visual hiccups. I was lucky to have my shows (Transformers 4 and Maleficent) on the largest screen on the property. They have four screens total. Next time I head out that way, I’ll be smart enough to pack some kind of bug spray. Mosquitos were a bit of a pain around dusk. The intermission was plenty long enough to stretch, use the restroom and refill your food/​drink cache without missing the next previews.
When everything had wrapped up leaving was just a much a breeze as getting in. I packed up my left-​overs and headed back to Chicago very thrilled to have come out and eager to return.
The drive-​in experience is always far superior to any impersonal multiplex theater you can find. There is a tangible sense of community between the folks that come out to this theater. I picked this up years ago when I first started coming here and it was no different last night. The car next to you is your neighbor, not just some stranger in an adjoining seat. I love this about the setting.
For certain I’ll be back and I’ll be bringing more people with me.
Thanks SO much, Tri Way Team!

One of the last drive in theatres in northern indiana. I really like this theater because it delivers the experience of outdoor theater going that is no longer available in many cities. I would say that this theater is really good and I would recommend visiting the theater and also the golf course on the side come here with your friends and family and you have a really great time.

This place could be amazing if… they had any kind of order to their madness! The staff does not seem to know what is going on — whether it is at the concession stand or telling people where to park. We go a lot — sometimes 2 or 3 times per month, and it is always the same deal. One parking attendant will tell you it is ok to park somewhere, another will tell you it’s not. Or, better yet, our small SUV (Blazer) has to be at the back of the parking area (by a blue post) but there are minivans, large pick-​up trucks, and large SUVs who are able to park anywhere… the reason? Well, last time, according to the parking attendant «they started letting people park wherever but then once they saw it was going to be busier they just changed their mind». If you are going to have rules you need to be consistent and enforce them. If every SUV, truck, and van had to be parked in the designated area then I would not have had any issues, however, when the rules are not consistent from person to person it is frustrating. The concession stand is a-​whole-​nother story. There are so many people working but they all seem to be confused. They are stepping on each other, running into each other, and I’m pretty sure they are not quite ever sure if they are giving out the right stuff to the customers. If you order four things, then you will have to wait for each item to be given to you — over a 5 minute time span and probably from 4 different employees. Ex: Popcorn, 2 pops, breadsticks… You can expect one person to start making your pops and then just set them to the side. A second person will hand you your popcorn. You wait, popcorn in hand while staring at your drinks, for another person to bring you your breadsticks. Once you get the breadsticks, you are literally staring at your drinks, sitting on the counter next to the pop machine, waiting. waiting. waiting. Until the «pop person» realizes you got the rest of your stuff, and then they will finally give you your drinks. The system just needs to be better back there. I can see the frustration in the eyes of the employees, and customer service is lacking because of it. If there was some order going on then things would be great! Like I said, we love going here — I just wish the staff was all on the same page with each other!