Bay Drive-In Theatre

Location

Where is Bay Drive-In Theatre?

Bay Drive-In Theatre is at State Rte 26, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607. The entrance is at Bailey Settlement Road. The closest highway is NY-26 (State Route 26). Landmarks: Corner of Route 26 and Bailey Settlement Road, about 2 miles outside Alexandria Bay village.

Start time

What time does the movie start at Bay Drive-In Theatre?

What Bay Drive-In Theatre says: The theater says the first movie starts at about sunset.

In October the sun sets around 6:20 pm and it gets dark around 6:49 pm.

Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Bay Drive-In Theatre promises, and some drive-ins start the movie before it. Plan to be parked by sunset.

Here is when it gets dark in each month, from April to October, on the 15th.

For more on what time it gets dark and when drive-ins really start their movies, read our start-time guide.

Prices

How much Bay Drive-In Theatre costs

• Adult$7
• Child$3Ages 7-11
• Under 7FreeKids 6 and under
• Senior$5*
• Military discount$5With a valid ID

Check showtimes

Amenities

Food, restrooms and rules

• Radios to rent: $5.00 rental fee, driver's license held as deposit; only 2 radios available
• Full kitchen
• You cannot bring your own food
• Restrooms in a building
• Cash machine on site
• You can bring your dog
• You can sit outside your car
• Screened-in viewing room: enclosed seating area with full sound system next to the A-Bay Café, free with a Cinema 1 ticket
• Party reservations: the screened-in room can be reserved free via a Facebook message with at least 3 days notice
• Jump starts: free jump-packs available at the concession stand
• Merchandise: sold via a Redbubble online shop, not on-site
• Screen switching: guests can switch to the other cinema's second feature, ask at the box office
• Tailgate rule: back-in tailgate viewing allowed, but the open tailgate must not be higher than the vehicle roof
• Outside food exception: general policy is no outside food, but booked birthday parties may bring a cake
• Payment: Apple Pay accepted at the box office and café, in addition to cash and cards
• Labor Day cutback: full Fri/Sat/Sun schedule through summer, weekends-only from Labor Day until the season closes (own Facebook posts, Sept 6 2026 and Oct 20 2025)

Reviews

What visitors say about Bay Drive-In Theatre

From 620 visitor reviews, 4.8 stars.

• “

  Screens

  • "Big screen" is a 24-mention topic on the venue's Google reviews, the most of any topic on the listing.
  • "Two screens" (5 mentions) and "double feature" (2 mentions) show reviewers calling out the two-cinema format specifically.
• “

  Food selection

  • "Food selection" is a 13-mention topic on the venue's Google reviews.
• “

  Friendly staff and owners

  • "Friendly staff" is the single most-repeated topic on the venue's Google reviews, at 32 mentions.
  • "Friendly owners" adds 3 more mentions naming ownership specifically.
• “

  Affordable family outing

  • "Affordability" is a 5-mention topic, reviewers calling out the prices.
  • "Family movie night" is a 3-mention topic describing it as a multi-generation tradition.

Before you go

Know before you go

• The box office opens 6:00 pm
• On a busy summer night, get there about 30 minutes early
• Rain or shine, the movie plays
• Arrive at least 30 minutes before showtime to park and grab food from the A-Bay Café.
• Rent a battery-powered radio at the café for $5 (driver's license held as deposit) if your car stereo fails. Only 2 are available.
• Cinema 1 ticket holders can use the free screened-in viewing room with full sound next to the A-Bay Café.
• Dead battery? Concession stand staff give free jump starts with jump-packs on hand.
• Want to switch screens for the second feature? Ask at the box office.
• If your car's automatic running or parking lights can't be switched off per the owner's manual, bring an old blanket or tarp to cover the headlights during the show.
• Keep your foot off the brake pedal during the movie; brake lights wash out the screen for the cars behind you.
• Worried about battery drain? Run the engine a few minutes every 30 minutes for an older car, every hour for a newer one.
• Need a jump-start or to return a rental radio after the café closes? Knock on the door; staff stay on site until every patron leaves.

History

The history of Bay Drive-In Theatre

The Bay Drive-In in Alexandria Bay, New York, first lit its screen in 1968 and has run every season since. The current owners bought it in 1982 and expanded it, adding a second 66 foot wide screen in 1999.

The two screens hold up to 600 cars. Screen 1 still has about 100 traditional window speakers alongside the radio broadcast, and the Bay has an indoor viewing area that seats about 60 people, the only one at a New York drive-in.

FAQ

Questions about Bay Drive-In Theatre, answered

Nearby

Other drive-in theaters in New York

• 22 miles awayBlack River Drive InWatertown, NY · 1 screenSee this theater
• 62 miles away56 Auto Drive-in TheaterMassena, NY · 1 screenSee this theater
• 71 miles awayMidway Drive-In TheatreFulton, NY · 1 screenSee this theater
• 103 miles awayFinger Lakes Drive-InAuburn, NY · 1 screenSee this theater