- Gets dark7:18 pmGates open Fri/Sat 7:15 pm, Sun 7:45 pm
- Google rating4.50123456789,012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens1
- Price$11per adult
- Outside food$6.5permit per car
- DogsOn a leash
- Sit outsideYes
- FM88.5 FM
- Car spots468
- This week's moviesOn Facebook pageWeekly
- Opened1948
Skyview Drive-In is at 2420 East Main Street in Lancaster, Ohio, about three miles east of downtown on US 22. Locally it is also known as the Skyview Cruise-In.
It has one screen, an indoor concession stand and a restroom building. Tickets are sold per person: $11 for ages 12 and up, $6.50 for ages 4 to 11, and free for kids 3 and under.
In 2026, gate times shifted through the season. When we checked in 2026, the box office had opened around 7:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7:45 p.m. Sunday, with the show starting roughly an hour later. If you want to bring your own food or drinks, a permit adds $6.50 to your driver'''s ticket.
Location
Where is Skyview Drive-In Theater?
Skyview Drive-In Theater is at 2420 E Main St, Lancaster, OH 43130. The entrance is at Quarry Road. The closest highway is US 22.
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Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- OX-B's
- Osteria Alla Romana
- Great Wall Chinese Restaurant
Start time
What time does the movie start at Skyview Drive-In Theater?
What Skyview Drive-In Theater says: The theater posted 8:16 pm for the first movie on September 4, 2026. Full dark that night was 8:25 pm, so the movie started about 9 minutes before dark.
In October the sun sets around 6:51 pm and it gets dark around 7:18 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Skyview 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 April to October, on the 15th.
| Month | Gets dark |
|---|---|
| April | 8:35 pm |
| May | 9:07 pm |
| June | 9:32 pm |
| July | 9:28 pm |
| August | 8:56 pm |
| September | 8:06 pm |
| October | 7:18 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 Skyview Drive-In Theater costs
- Adult$11
- Child$6.50Ages 4-11
- Under 4FreeKids 3 and under
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Snack bar
- Outside food is allowed with a $6.50 permit, bought at the gate
- Restrooms in a building
- You can bring your dog, on a leash
- You can sit outside your car
- 11-minute intermission between the films
- Flea market on the same lot the 2nd Saturday of every month; $5 vendor space, buyer admission $0.50 (grand-opening rate).
- Sister venue: South Drive-In (Columbus, OH) and its own Flea Market (Sat/Sun/Wed 5a-1p), cross-promoted on Skyview's site and Facebook page; same ownership group.
- Portable radios loaned free at the concession stand for FM sound. Nostalgic car-side speakers are still partly in service, but the underground wiring needs a roughly $10,000 replacement (owner's own Google review reply, 2026-06-21).
- Free jump-start/battery boost offered if using your car stereo for FM sound runs the battery down.
- Flea-market page names the operating company as Rainbow Venues & Concessions, LLC, which says its affiliate bought Skyview in 2022; a Google review reply from someone identifying as 'the owner' instead cites almost 30 years running the business. Operator identity is unresolved, see review_note.
- In a Google review reply dated 2026-08-27, the owner confirmed the theater property is currently listed for sale, while saying they are not closing.
- E-gift cards for the box office and for concessions are sold separately online.
- Concession stand is known locally for fishtail and pork tenderloin sandwiches, funnel cakes and elephant ears, beyond the standard hot dog/burger/pizza menu.
- Also here: flea-market
Showtimes
What's playing at Skyview Drive-In Theater this week
Skyview Drive-In posts this week's movies and start times on its Facebook page, usually weekly. Check there for tonight's show.
Reviews
What visitors say about Skyview Drive-In Theater
From 1,012 visitor reviews, 4.5 stars.
Restrooms
- Reviews are mixed: some call the facility clean with more than one working stall (2026-08-02), others say it's often out of supplies (2025-11-15) or that stalls are very narrow, with one out of commission (2026-08-06, with photos).
Staff and service
- A cluster of one-star reviews in August 2026 describe rude or inexperienced staff and slow concession lines; the owner replied personally to each disputing the characterization and citing about 30 years running the business.
- Other, more numerous reviews (38 mentions of 'friendly staff') describe staff as friendly and responsive, including one account of an attendant immediately fixing a headlight-left-on issue.
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens Fri/Sat 7:15 pm, Sun 7:45 pm
- On a busy summer night, get there about 90 minutes early
- Vehicles 61" and over must park at any orange post; vehicles 60" or less park at any white post, centered on the post. Hatches cannot be above the height of the vehicle.
- Rain or shine, the movie plays
- Bring a portable radio or plan to use your car stereo for FM sound (88.5). Free loaner radios are available at the concession stand, but working car-side speakers are limited.
- Cars 60" or under use the white posts; SUVs, vans and trucks 61" or taller use the orange posts, and you're measured on arrival.
- If you're bringing outside food, buy the food permit online with your tickets ($6.50 added to the driver's ticket) rather than hoping to sort it out at the gate.
History
The history of Skyview Drive-In Theater
Skyview Drive-In was built in 1948 by the late Carlos Crum. The venue's own history page says longtime employee Walt bought it from Crum in 1994.
A newer page on the same site, for the on-site flea market, instead credits Rainbow Venues & Concessions, LLC, which it says bought Skyview in 2022 and bought sister venue South Drive-In (Columbus, OH) and its flea market in 2018, as the current operator. Which of these reflects who runs Skyview today is unresolved; see review_note.
FAQ
Questions about Skyview Drive-In Theater, answered
How many screens does Skyview Drive-In have?
Skyview 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 Skyview Drive-In use?
Skyview Drive-In broadcasts its soundtrack on 88.5 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.
Is there an intermission at Skyview Drive-In?
Skyview Drive-In runs a 11-minute intermission between the two films. That is your window for the restroom, the counter and restarting the engine to put some charge back in the battery. Go early in the break if you want to avoid the queue, because everybody on the lot moves at once.
What time does the movie start at Skyview Drive-In?
What Skyview Drive-In says: The theater posted 8:16 pm for the first movie on September 4, 2026. Full dark that night was 8:25 pm, so the movie started about 9 minutes before dark. In October it gets dark around 7:18 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
How much does Skyview Drive-In cost?
Admission to Skyview Drive-In is $11 per adult, $6.50 per child 4-11. Two adults and two children come to $35. Children 3 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to Skyview Drive-In?
You can bring your own food to Skyview Drive-In once you have bought a permit for $6.50 a car. The permit is worth it if you were going to spend more than that at the counter anyway. Without one, outside food is not allowed in.
Are dogs allowed at Skyview Drive-In?
Dogs are welcome at Skyview 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 Ohio
- 27 miles awaySouth Drive-in TheaterSee this theater
- 74 miles awaySpringmill Drive-InSee this theater
- 82 miles awayLynn Auto TheatreSee this theater
- 88 miles awayDixie Twin Drive-InSee this theater