Hillcrest Drive-In
Fort Wayne, Indiana1951-1987
Shop Hillcrest Drive-In tees, long sleeve tees and hoodies. The Hillcrest in Fort Wayne, Indiana, had a sign shaped like a fan of orange and yellow rays, and the sign outlasted the theater. It was moved across Tillman Road, restored to its original colors, and by 2026 was identifying an apartment house. Pick a style below, then read the full Hillcrest history further down. Down Home Apparel is an American small business remembering the best places and teams of yesteryear, and every shirt is printed to order in the USA.
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Hillcrest Drive-In History
The Hillcrest Drive-In in Fort Wayne, Indiana, opened on June 15, 1951, at 720 East Tillman Road. It had one screen and room for about 500 cars. Charles Loudenslager and the Indianapolis Co-Op Theatres ran it in its first years.
Its roadside sign was a fan of pointed rays in orange and yellow, spreading out above the name, with a row of tall colored panels below. The sign was the part of the theater that lasted.
The last season was 1987, and the Hillcrest was demolished in the early 1990s. The sign moved across Tillman Road to the lawn of the old Hillcrest school, which had closed in 1979 and become a store. When that building came down for a three-story apartment house, the sign stayed. It was restored to its original colors, and by 2026 it was identifying the apartments. Houses stand on the old theater lot.