One of the last remaining drive-in theaters in the Kansas City region is permanently closing later this month.
Twin Drive-In in Independence, Missouri, announced on Facebook it has just a few more showings left before it shuts down for good on Nov. 17. “While we are deeply disappointed, we want to thank our loyal guests for the many unforgettable nights under the stars,” the post reads.
The two-screen Twin Drive-In, which originally opened in 1965, is now run by B&B Theatres, a nationwide chain based in Liberty, Missouri. Paul Farnsworth, a spokesperson for B&B, said the property owners are increasing their rent by 350%, which isn’t sustainable.
Farnsworth believes the owners want to redevelop the land.
“It's been a little bit of a heartbreak,” Farnsworth said. “We've been there for a long time and the property and drive-ins, in general, mean a lot to the fabric of B&B Theatres, and I know it means a lot to the community.”
The theater’s Facebook post gathered hundreds of comments mourning the closure.
“How sad,” one commenter wrote. “Going to the Twin was a family treat growing up and I in turn did it with my family.”
“So sad, so many nights spent under the stars here,” another said. “From the 70s until now. It will be missed.”
Farnsworth said the theater has done well this season. It’s not a lack of interest that dooms drive-ins, he said, but rather the cost of running a theater with only one or two screens.
Outdoor movies saw a spike in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic because they were a safe entertainment option and could keep running during lockdowns. Twin Drive-In was the same — for a while, Farnsworth said, it was the only theater that B&B kept open.
“It was a really powerful reminder to a lot of people of the escapism that movies can bring,” Farnsworth said. “It was a way for them to, during a weird and unprecedented time, still be able to enjoy that entertainment as a family.”
For its final screenings, Twin Drive-In is airing “Goonies,” “Jurassic Park,” “Grease” and “Dirty Dancing” the weekend of November 8-10. Its final weekend, November 15-17, will feature “Elf” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
Twin’s absence will leave only one other drive-in open in the area: The Boulevard Drive-In Theatre in Kansas City, Kansas. Boulevard already closed for the season but is slated to reopen in April 2025.
There are now fewer than 300 drive-ins across the country — four of them in Kansas and nine in Missouri.
