These drive-in cinemas are close to the Greater Toronto Area, and are an awesome idea for a night out at any age
For some folks, drive-in movie theatres — or drive-in cinemas — have an old-timey vibe, probably because they’ve been around for quite some time (over a century, despite peaking in the late 1940s to 1960s) and for the most part, they haven’t changed. And in a tech-driven world, it’s nice to see some things stay sweet and simple. That said, you can definitely pick out the pros at drive-ins across Ontario, the people who’ve clearly been frequenting these fine establishments a while. How can you tell? They’re well-equipped with a bit of modern flair, from lawn chairs to mattresses, to rooftop campers and soccer balls, but more on that in a bit.
Here’s everything we know about drive-in theatres, including some locations close to the GTA, as well as what to know before you go, and what you’ll need to make the most of your drive-in movie experience. Have you been to a drive-in theatre recently? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
Drive-in theatres close to the GTA
- 5 Drive-In in Oakville, ON
- Starlite Drive-In Theatre in Hamilton, ON
- Sunset Barrie Drive-In Theatre in Barrie, ON
- Stardust Drive-In Theatre in Newmarket, ON
- Skyway Drive-In in Niagara Falls, ON
- Mustang Drive-In in London, ON
- Mustang Drive-In in Guelph, ON
- Mustang Drive-In in Prince Edward County, ON
- Muskoka Drive-In in Gravenhurst, ON
- Lindsay Twin Drive-In Theatre in Kawartha Lakes, ON
What’s the best type of vehicle for the drive-in movie theatre?
While each has its pros and cons, if you can manage to get an almost perfect summer night — of course, “perfect” is subjective when it comes to the outdoors and hot temperatures — I’d choose the Tundra over and over, or any full-size pickup for that matter. The tested Tundra made things so simple for our first drive-in movie night for the summer.
The only thing missing from our tested Tundra Limited was a bed cover, meaning we piled all our supplies into the vehicle with us. That included blankets, pillows, lawn chairs, sweaters, a blow-up mattress, and many more of the items you’ll see in the list below. For the short drive to the theatre, we didn’t miss having a large cargo area because the interior of the Tundra is large and spacious — and that’s with my three kids also in the back seats.
Once we arrived, we set up the blow-up mattress in the bed of the truck and plugged our pump into the 120V AC power outlet in the Tundra. Within a couple minutes, we had our full-size bed set up in the full-size pickup’s bed. (I will note the pickup behind us had a bed cover, and everything was set up before getting to the drive-in — they just had to pull the cover off and get in.) The only problem was that without some kind of step or stool, I couldn’t actually get into the bed’s bed — so, we did the next easiest thing, and just opened the rear window and climbed through to the bed.
The only complaint about the Tundra, and this isn’t really the truck’s fault, is that using accessory mode meant it kept turning itself off and cutting the sound off during the movie, and then someone would have to slide back into the pickup to turn it on. But that’s not quite the problem — it was more that it kept syncing itself back to Android Auto and automatically playing Spotify instead of going back to the radio. I think it should revert back to the last thing played in the vehicle.
What do you need to bring to the drive-in movie theatre?
Pillows and blankets
Air mattress and pump
Lawn chair
Bug repellent
Sweater
Snacks
Keep in mind that many drive-in theatres don’t allow outside food, and instead have their own little snack bars — some will even deliver the food right to your car. That said, while I can’t condone sneaking snacks into any theatres, it can be rather expensive to purchase food and drink items from the cinema, so I wouldn’t blame you if you hid a small bag of chips somewhere in the car — just remember not to litter.
Activities for the wait
Due to the popularity of drive-ins, it’s sometimes necessary to go quite early, especially if you want to get a prime spot — or if you have a preferred spot. If you’re going with children, it can mean having to entertain or occupy them for at least an hour, usually longer. Some drive-ins have a playground, but many don’t. Instead of a tablet, I’d suggest a book or even some toys that can be easily transported from the house to the car.
You can also play games that don’t involve bringing anything with you, such as I-Spy or a simple scavenger hunt. You can make your own movie-themed scavenger hunt by watching the trailer and noting certain characters or important scenes, then when the movie starts, antsy kids also have something to do/find. See below for a list of scavenger hunt items you (or kids) can search for before the movie starts:
Drive-in theatre scavenger hunt
- Popcorn (or other snack or drink items)
- Projector screen (an easy one)
- Playground swing or slide
- Pickup, minivan, car? Add specific colours to make it a bit harder
- Lawn chair
- Moon
- Stars
- Someone you know?
Other things to know before going to the drive-in cinema
What time does the drive-in open?
There’s not always an exact time, due to having to wait until the sun goes down. However, give or take a few minutes, an average start time would be around 9:30 p.m. in the summer months, when it doesn’t start getting dark until much later.
Do you need good weather to go to the drive-in cinema?
No, not necessarily. But keep in mind that bad weather can quickly spoil your fun, especially if you’re watching the movie from the bed of a pickup truck. A little rain won’t stop the movie, but if you want to be outside of your vehicle for the duration of the film, then double-check the forecast before going to ensure you get the experience you want.
Also note that drive-ins are generally closed for the colder fall and winter months and reopen once it gets warmer outside.
A few more drive-in theatre rules and things to know
Turn off daytime running lights
Staff will likely come around to tell you to turn off your daytime running lights, but a quick Google search turns up that rule pretty quick, too, hopefully before annoying or blinding the people around you.
No in and out privilege
As many drive-in cinemas play more than one movie per screen (many have three movies in a row on long weekends) many will note there are no in and out privileges — meaning you can’t screen-hop or head over to another screen once your movie is finished. As a courtesy to others, if you’re only staying for one movie, it’s best to leave as soon as your movie ends and before the next one starts; there’s a bit of an intermission in between movies.
Debit or credit vs. cash-only
While some drive-ins have the technology for you to buy tickets online or purchase using debit, credit, or cash, there are some that only accept cash. If you haven’t pre-purchased your tickets online, double-check to make sure you’ve got the right payment method with you. If it’s cash-only, some cinemas will have an ATM available somewhere on location; you’ll likely need cash for the snack bar, as well.
No outside food or drink
As noted before, many drive-in theatres will not allow outside food or drinks in. I assume it’s partially to control the amount of litter coming in, but also because they want you to support their own on-site snack bars. It’s a bit pricier than stocking up on a bunch of different snacks from Bulk Barn, but for some locations, it’s another means of helping to fund and provide the whole drive-in experience.
Pet-friendly
Many drive-in cinemas are pet-friendly! Whether your pup actually wants to sit through an outdoor movie is another story, but they’re more than welcome to go and enjoy the drive-in experience with you.
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