40 Years Gone: The Albion Drive-in Theater: 1950-1986

It never ceases to amaze me how some drive-in theaters go along for a good number of years showing regular movies, fit for families, kids, young adults and the grown-ups.....and then, in a fit of desperation to make a few extra bucks, they switch to all-adult and X-rated films. It usually doesn’t take long for local residents to complain loudly enough until those places are finally forced to close for good.

Such is the case with the former Albion Drive-In Theatre, once located at 16462 E. Michigan Avenue in Albion. Okay, maybe they weren’t forced to quit, but maybe attendance and sales were down without those families coming in.

The Albion Drive-in Theatre opened on May 9, 1950, and permanently closed in 1986.

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It had a car capacity of 400 and did good business for over 20 years until the 1970s when the decision was made to switch to all adult films. A light was installed in such a way that cars traveling by could not see the cavorting antics onscreen. As with any outside theater that showed a lot of skin, you could bet your "bottom" dollar that the neighborhood kids would do anything they could to sneak some peeks. They’d jump fences, climb trees, and hide in the dark just to see some flesh.

About 10 to 15 years went by when that was enough...the adult films had played out. The Albion Drive-in Theatre closed for good in 1986.

Scroll down to see how the site looks today after 40 years of being out of operation.