In June we took the kids to see a movie at the Cumberland Drive-In Theatre. This was my our first time seeing a Movie at a Drive-In Theatre and we loved it!
Cumberland Drive-In
The Cumberland Drive-In Movie Theater is located in Newville, PA. It is one of 375 drive-in theaters in America.
The Drive-In is open Friday- Sunday seasonally and some holidays. You can check their website to make sure they are open and see what movies will be playing. On weekends the drive-in does double features and on holidays it’s a triple feature.
With 400 spaces (125 of them can be reserved online) there is plenty of parking.
At the Cumberland Drive-In, there are concessions, radio’s you can rent and a playground for the kids to play on before the shows start.
Review of the Cumberland Drive-In Theater
We arrived at the Cumberland Drive-in an hour before the estimated start time. As we pulled up we saw a long line of cars on the side of the road waiting to get into the theater. The line moved quickly taking us down a gravel road, as we pulled up to pay at the ticket booth we could see the large screen to the right.
From the road the screen is hidden and you have to enter the drive-in theater to be able to see the screen.
Ticket prices for the Cumberland Drive-In were very affordable, with kids under 3 being free. Adults are $8 and kids 3-12 are $4.
After paying for our family we drove into the lot and found a parking spot. Parking can be tight since they want you to park so closely together.
After parking the car we opened the truck of our van, put the kid’s car seats up on the front seats and stowed the middle and back seats in our van. (Stow and go seats are the best!)
Then we spread out the blankets and pillows we brought to make a comfy bed. Now we were ready to watch the show.
We decided to use our car radio and turned the station to 88.7FM to listen to music and announcements before the shows started. If you don’t want to use your car’s radio you can rent a radio for $2.00.
The show started at about 9 pm. The estimated start time was 8:45 but it started a little later since so many people were still waiting to get into the Drive-in. This wasn’t a problem as it gave us time to run to the restroom.
Once the show started we had an awesome view with amazing surround sound in our van. By the end of the first movie, the kids were both asleep. During the break before the second movie started, we put the seats back up and buckled the kids in for the drive home.
Though we only stayed for one movie we really enjoyed our night at the movies. We can’t wait to go back to the drive-in for another movie.
Going to a movie with kids especially young kids can be so hard. You pay to get in and then often end up outside the theater with the kids. We found that a drive-in is a perfect way to see a movie with kids. They can climb and play in the car while you enjoy the show.
You can bring treats the kids will like and have pillows and blankets for them to fall asleep. Going to a drive-in is really the perfect way for parents of young kids to enjoy a newly released movie.
FAQ Cumberland Drive-In Theater
How much does it cost?
Double Feature: Adults $8, Kids 3-12 $4, under 3 are free.
Holiday Triple Feature: Adult $10, Kids 3-12 $5, under 3 are free.
Concession Menu:
The concessions menu includes a little bit of everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to popcorn, candy and more. Drinks include Soft Drinks, Slushies, Water, Iced Tea, and Coffee.
Can you Bring your Own Food?
Nowhere on the website or facebook page was it mentioned that you can’t bring your own food. No one asked when we paid to enter the drive-in so feel free to bring your own food unless they update that information.
Just remember that the drive-in makes the most money from the concessions, most of the ticket price goes back to the movie studios.
Have you ever been to a drive-in theater? What did you think?
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