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Illinois Drive-ins

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Bel-Air Drive-in
Mitchell, IL		 Bel-Air Drive-in
Cicero, IL		 McHenry Outdoor Theatre
McHenry, IL
The Mitchell Bel-Air Drive-in, located on Route 66, opened in the 1950s and closed in 1987. All that remains is this marquee. For more, see this website.

The Cicero Bel-Air Drive-in opened in 1949 as a single screen. This back-to-back screentower was built later. This drive-in closed in 1999. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The McHenry Outdoor Theatre opened in 1955 and is still in operation. For more, see their website.

Blue Moonlight Drive-in
Galesburg, IL		 French Village Drive-in
Sauget, IL
The Blue Moonlight Drive-in opened as the Galesburg Drive-in in 1948. It closed in 1980 and fell into disrepair. In 2005, new owners restored the drive-in and reopened it as the Blue Moonlight. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

The French Village Drive-in was built in 1942 in East St. Louis, IL. The drive-in closed around 1989 and was demolished in 2005. The marquee sign was saved and is stored at the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation Conservatory in Sauget. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Skyview Drive-in
Belleville, IL
The Skyview Drive-in opened in 1949. The Skyview's original screen tower was painted pink and emblazoned with the drive-in's name and nine stars, all outlined with neon. In 1955, a tornado tore down the screen and marquee. Both were rebuilt and this sign was replicated to look like the original. In 1981, the screen was again destroyed by a windstorm and rebuilt. A second screen was also added at that time.

The sign's red, white and blue paint scheme are original. The sign is about 20 feet wide. Its two faces are triangulated for maximum visibility from the road. The neon has not worked since the 1970s or 1980s. Instead, the sign is illuminated with a spotlight. The message boards are illuminated from within the sign. The rocket-like plane's contrail originally flashed. Saturn and the nine stars were lit with static white neon. Red neon was used for the letters while blue neon lit the plane. The owner is considering having the sign restored. However, a $50,000 estimate has put that plan on hold for now. The Skyview is the only operating drive-in left in the St. Louis area. It is one of the few drive-ins that still features a playground. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.