Coming Attraction: America’s First Indoor Drive-In Theater

In which millennials learn how to make out in cars

February 6, 2017 9:00 am

Fun fact: On June 6, 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey. 

You might think we’ve come a long way since then. Designer Michael Counts , however, thinks otherwise. 

He’s the man behind August Moon Drive-In, which when completed next year in Nashville, Texas, will stand  as a large-scale replica of the ‘60s-era drive-in theater featuring the largest non-IMAX movie screen in North America. This new moviegoing experience will be housed underneath a 40,000-square-foot, air-supported dome with a simulated skyline.

Filled with real trees, a half acre of grass, gravel pathways and a soundscape delivering the chirps of crickets and the whisper of a summer breeze, the August Moon will offer up to 350 guests seating in 40 modified classic cars, private booths and hammocks. The theater even plans to feature a simulated sunset before each showing. 

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As for food, the August Moon will feature three bars and with service dising out classics like burgers, fries and milkshakes. 

“Essentially we’re building a soundstage,” Counts told Variety. “We’re building a set as if you’re going to shoot an outdoor scene in a movie, on an indoor stage.”

The theater will show both first-run films and classics and the project’s backers estimate guests will need to allocate about three hours to take in a  90-minute film in order to experience everything the August Moon has to offer beneath its dome with tickets starting at less than $10.

Just don’t forget to silence your cellphone. 

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