North Star Drive-In
Thornton, Colorado1961-1993
Shop North Star Drive-In tees, long sleeve tees and hoodies. The Thornton, Colorado, drive-in held 1,940 cars on a single screen listed at 135 feet wide, which made it one of the largest single-screen drive-ins in the country. It stayed open all year with in-car heaters, and the last message on its marquee was two words and a hand-drawn frowning face. Pick a style below, then read the full North Star 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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North Star Drive-In History
The North Star Drive-In in Thornton, Colorado, north of Denver, opened on June 30, 1961, with Parrish. It held 1,940 cars, and fence-mounted speakers could stretch that to about 2,000, which made it one of the largest single-screen drive-ins in the country. A 1962 trade catalog gave the screen as 135 feet wide. The projection throw was about a tenth of a mile.
It began as part of Wolfberg Theatres' Compass chain, with drive-ins named for the points of the compass. Commonwealth Theatres bought the chain around 1979 and 1980. The North Star stayed open all year, with in-car heaters and shows on Christmas.
The lot sat low, on ground that sloped toward the screen. By the time sound moved to FM radio, people could park behind the Burger King next door, tune in and watch for free. Staff sometimes walked up and asked them for the admission.
The land was sold in 1993 and the theater shut down. A star stood on a tall pole over the sign, and the last message on the marquee was two words and a hand-drawn frowning face. The North Star was demolished in December 1994. Ultimate Electronics later built on the site.