Meadow Lark Drive-In
Wichita, Kansas1950-1982
Shop Meadow Lark Drive-In tees, long sleeve tees and hoodies. The Meadow Lark in Wichita, Kansas, held 1,000 cars, grew into a twin a year after it opened, and put 350 deck chairs on the concession patio. Its sign set a lit script Meadow Lark in a panel lined with light bulbs, with a line reading Wichita's Finest between stars. Pick a style below, then read the full Meadow Lark history further down. We are an American small business bringing back the signs and logos of places and teams that are long gone but remembered fondly.
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Meadow Lark Drive-In History
The Meadow Lark Drive-In in Wichita, Kansas, opened on July 2, 1950, at 4445 East Harry Street, with Jane Wyman in The Lady Takes a Sailor and Victor Mature in Easy Living. It held 1,000 cars. The western meadowlark is the Kansas state bird, though no source says that is where the name came from.
It was a family operation on a large scale. T. H. Slothower designed it, working with Ted Mason, and ran it with his wife. A year later they added a second, 400-car theater next to the first on the same 20 acres, making it a twin with a playground at each screen. The concession building had a patio with 350 deck chairs. A 1950 ad in the Wichita Eagle called it one of the finest outdoor theaters in the country.
The sign matched the talk. A lit script Meadow Lark sat in a shaped panel lined with light bulbs, over DRIVE IN and a script Theatre, and a line near the bottom read Wichita's Finest, set between stars.
Commonwealth Theatres later took it over. A former Commonwealth city manager says it was declining but still profitable when the company sold it, because the land had become worth more than the shows. The last night was September 19, 1982. It was torn down in 1983, and a retirement community now stands there.