Varia Drive-In
Jackson, Mississippi1950-1973
Shop Varia Drive-In tees, long sleeve tees and hoodies. The Varia opened in 1950 on Highway 80 West in Jackson, Mississippi, and its opening ad called it the South's finest super drive-in, at the crossroads of highways 80 and 51. No one seems to know what Varia means. Browse the styles below, and the full Varia history is 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.
4 products
Varia Drive-In History
The Varia Drive-In in Jackson, Mississippi, opened on October 20, 1950, on Highway 80 West, with William Holden in Father Is a Bachelor. It held about 500 cars. T.G. Solomon ran it along with three other drive-ins in Jackson, including the 51 and the Highway 80.
No one seems to know what Varia means. A commenter asked in 2022 and got no answer, and the ads don't say. The opening ad said only to watch for the date, and called it the South's finest super drive-in, located exactly at the crossroads of the South, highways 80 and 51. The sign was neon, with VARIA in tall outlined capitals and a stack of short bars running down its side.
Gulf States Theatres took it over in 1963. The giant cow on the Borden milk plant was a nearby landmark, as one commenter recalled. By the end the Varia was running a different kind of picture: the last bill, on April 29, 1973, was The Female Response and Helga. The theater was later demolished, and a towing business has been on the site.