- Gets dark6:50 pmGates open about 2 hours before showtime
- Google rating4.80123456789,012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens1
- Price$12per adult
- Outside foodAllowed*
- DogsOn a leash
- Sit outsideYes*
- FM90.7 FM
- This week's moviesOn own websiteWeekly
- Opened1934
Shankweiler's Drive-In in Orefield opened on April 15, 1934 as Shankweiler's Park-In Theatre, the second drive-in to open in America and the first in Pennsylvania. It is still running today, on one screen, with sound on 90.7 FM and a full-service snack bar.
Admission is per person and covers both films of the double feature, at $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12. As of 2026, the box office opens about two hours before showtime, and the theater is known to sell out, so arriving early helps.
Location
Where is Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater?
Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater is at 4540 Shankweiler Rd, Orefield, PA 18069. The entrance is at PA-309. The closest highway is I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension). Landmarks: The Club at Twin Lakes driving range, on Shankweiler Road.
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Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- Shire's Mobile Kitchen
Start time
What time does the movie start at Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater?
What Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater says: The theater posted 7:15 pm for the first movie on October 8, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:01 pm, so the movie started about 14 minutes after dark.
In October the sun sets around 6:22 pm and it gets dark around 6:50 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater 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 January to December, on the 15th.
| Month | Gets dark |
|---|---|
| January | 5:29 pm |
| February | 6:04 pm |
| March | 7:35 pm |
| April | 8:09 pm |
| May | 8:43 pm |
| June | 9:08 pm |
| July | 9:04 pm |
| August | 8:30 pm |
| September | 7:39 pm |
| October | 6:50 pm |
| November | 5:14 pm |
| December | 5:06 pm |
For more on what time it gets dark and when drive-ins really start their movies, read our start-time guide.
Prices
How much Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater costs
- Adult$12
- Child$8Ages under 12
- Under 4Free*Kids 3 and under
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Snack bar
- You can bring your own food and drink
- Restrooms in a building
- You can bring your dog, on a leash
- You can sit outside your car
- The snack bar opens with the gates and stays open until the second feature starts.
- Named Reader's Choice Best Drive-In Theater 2025, per the theater's press page.
- Also here: flea-market
Showtimes
What's playing at Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater this week
Shankweiler's Drive-In posts this week's movies and start times on its own website, usually weekly. Check there for tonight's show.
Reviews
What visitors say about Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater
From 1,136 visitor reviews, 4.8 stars.
Friendly staff
- Staff are the most praised thing, with 69 mentions.
- Reviewers note the owners work the lot themselves.
The snack bar
- 50 mentions, with reviewers calling it tasty and reasonably priced.
Two movies for one price
- 30 mentions of the double feature as good value.
Clean grounds
- 9 mentions of clean bathrooms.
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens about 2 hours before showtime
- Trucks, vans, SUVs and other high vehicles must park in designated rows unless staff directs otherwise.
- Rain or shine, the movie plays
- You may leave the grounds at any time, but re-entry is not permitted.
- Bring a portable radio, or ask at the snack bar for a spare, so the car battery does not run down.
History
The history of Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater
Wilson Shankweiler, a hotel owner and movie fan, opened Pennsylvania's first drive-in on April 15, 1934 in Orefield, originally called Shankweiler's Park-In Theatre. It was the second drive-in to open in America, a year after Richard Hollingshead's Camden, New Jersey theater. Speaker poles and car speakers arrived in 1948. Hurricane Diane levelled the projection booth and the square shadow box screen in 1955, and a new CinemaScope screen and a snack bar, projection room and restroom building were built.
Bob Malkames bought the drive-in from Wilson Shankweiler in 1959. AM micro-vicinity broadcasting was introduced in 1982, and in 1986 Shankweiler's became the first drive-in to carry audio in FM broadcast stereo. Paul and Susan Geissinger bought it in 1984. Red LED spectral soundtrack readers, a cinema sound processor and a stronger FM transmitter went in during 2002, and a digital Barco Alchemy projector in 2013. The Moving Picture Cinema, Matthew McClanahan and Lauren McChesney, purchased the theater in 2022 and expanded it to year-round operation.
FAQ
Questions about Shankweiler's Drive-In Theater, answered
How many screens does Shankweiler's Drive-In have?
Shankweiler's Drive-In has one screen. Everybody on the lot watches the same film, so there is nothing to choose when you arrive. Park where you like, tune your radio and wait for the light to go.
What FM frequency does Shankweiler's Drive-In use?
Shankweiler's Drive-In broadcasts its soundtrack on 90.7 FM. The audio comes through your own car stereo rather than a speaker on a post. If your car cannot run its radio with the engine off, bring a portable one.
What time does the movie start at Shankweiler's Drive-In?
What Shankweiler's Drive-In says: The theater posted 7:15 pm for the first movie on October 8, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:01 pm, so the movie started about 14 minutes after dark. In October it gets dark around 6:50 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
When is Shankweiler's Drive-In open?
For the 2026 season, Shankweiler's Drive-In is open from January to December. It closes for the winter and reopens in the spring, so a trip outside those months is not possible.
How much does Shankweiler's Drive-In cost?
Admission to Shankweiler's Drive-In is $12 per adult, $8 per child under 12. Two adults and two children come to $40. Children 3 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to Shankweiler's Drive-In?
You can bring your own food and drink to Shankweiler's Drive-In at no extra charge. Pack a cooler and the tickets are the only thing you pay for. The counter is still there if you would rather buy dinner when you arrive.
Are dogs allowed at Shankweiler's Drive-In?
Dogs are welcome at Shankweiler's Drive-In as long as the leash stays on. Keep it short near other cars, bring water, and clean up afterwards. A nervous dog is worth leaving at home, because sound carries across a lot.
Nearby
Other drive-in theaters in Pennsylvania
- 9 miles awayBecky's Drive-InSee this theater
- 15 miles awayMahoning Drive-InSee this theater
- 46 miles awayGarden Drive-InSee this theater
- 48 miles awayMoonlite Drive-InSee this theater