- Gets dark7:20 pmGates open 7:30 pm
- Google rating4.50123456789,012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens2
- Price$12.5per adult
- Outside foodAllowed
- DogsOn a leash
- Sit outsideYes
- FM91.9 FM, 96.7 FM
- Car spots1100
- Opened1950
- From Columbus15 min
South Drive-In is at 3050 South High Street in Columbus, Ohio, a few miles south of downtown.
It has two screens, each playing two movies back to back, with a 15-minute break between features. Admission is $12.50 for ages 12 and up, $6.50 for ages 5 to 11, and free for kids 4 and under.
Sound comes through your car radio, 91.9 FM for screen one and 96.7 FM for screen two. Bring your own food at no charge, one of the last drive-ins left that does not charge a permit for it. The same lot runs a flea market every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location
Where is South Drive-in Theater?
South Drive-in Theater is at 3050 S High St, Columbus, OH 43207. The entrance is at Southgate Drive. The closest highway is US-23 (South High Street).
Loads Google Maps when you tap it
Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- Bob Evans
Start time
What time does the movie start at South Drive-in Theater?
What South Drive-in Theater says: The theater posted 7:35 pm for the first movie on October 9, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:29 pm, so the movie started about 6 minutes after dark.
In October the sun sets around 6:53 pm and it gets dark around 7:20 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time South Drive-in Theater promises, and some drive-ins start the movie before it. Plan to be parked by sunset.
It is a 15 minute drive from Columbus, about 7.8 miles.
Here is when it gets dark in each month, from April to October, on the 15th.
| Month | Gets dark |
|---|---|
| March | 8:05 pm |
| April | 8:37 pm |
| May | 9:10 pm |
| June | 9:34 pm |
| July | 9:31 pm |
| August | 8:58 pm |
| September | 8:08 pm |
| October | 7:20 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 South Drive-in Theater costs
- Adult$12.50
- Child$6.50Ages 5-11
- Under 5FreeKids 4 and under
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Full kitchen
- You can bring your own food and drink
- Restrooms in a building, plus portable toilets
- You can bring your dog, on a leash
- You can sit outside your car
- 15-minute intermission between the films
- Sister venue: Skyview Drive-In (Lancaster, OH); shared Veezi ticketing and a joint 2026 season-opening Facebook post point to the same operator.
- Flea market on the same lot Wed/Sat/Sun, 5am-1pm.
- Optional donations requested at the gate to fund remodeling; ticket prices have not been raised in years, per an owner reply to a 2026 Google review.
- If heavy rain or a severe storm stops the show before you have seen 30 minutes of the movie, the South gives a rain check. Keep your tickets. There are no refunds on rainy nights, rain checks only.
- Also here: flea-market
Reviews
What visitors say about South Drive-in Theater
From 2,688 visitor reviews, 4.5 stars.
Screen brightness draws repeat complaints
- Four reviewers through July and August 2026 called screen two's picture dim or blurry
- The owner's replies attribute the darkness to how the films themselves are graded and to the lack of indoor-style image masking on an outdoor screen, not to the equipment
In-car speakers still work, but the FM broadcast is the better option
- A 1-star review from August 2026 said the car-side speaker didn't work and the reviewer had to use car audio instead (Aug 2026)
- The owner's reply says the post speakers are still functional but the FM broadcast sounds better, and free portable radios are available at the concession stand for anyone whose own radio won't pick it up
The flea market draws its own repeat visitors
- A July 2026 review praised the flea market's vendor variety as a reason to come separate from the movies
The operator replies to nearly every negative review personally
- Detailed replies address specific complaints point by point, including stating the restrooms are less than 6 years old against a claim they need replacing (July 2026)
- One reply states up to 60% of ticket revenue goes back to film studios, offered as the reason for optional gate-side remodeling donations instead of a ticket price increase
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens 7:30 pm
- On a busy summer night, get there about 90 minutes early
- Vehicles are sized at the box office. Large trucks, vans and SUVs no longer have to park at the back; a sizing policy gives different vehicle sizes access toward the front. A raised hatchback must not sit higher than the roof of the car, so it does not block the view behind.
- You get a free pass if rain stops the movie
- You have to pay again to get back in unless you can show the gate attendant your tickets.
- Gate times move with the season: about 7:30 pm Fri/Sat and 8:00 pm Sun in mid-August, 7:15 pm Fri/Sat and 7:45 pm Sun by early September, as dusk gets earlier through the run.
- Each screen plays two movies back to back, and they run in the order listed.
- There is a 15 minute break between the two films, and the gate shuts 15 minutes into the last film.
- They ask you to come 1 to 1.5 hours before the movie starts on a Friday or Saturday, and 30 to 45 minutes on other nights.
- You can bring your own food and they do not charge a permit for it, which makes this one of the last drive-ins that does not.
- One car gets one space. If you want a second space for chairs on a Friday, Saturday or holiday, it is a $10 permit from the lot attendant.
- They keep a few jump packs at the gate for a dead battery, and there are old post speakers and free portable radios at the concession stand if your own radio will not do.
- The flea market runs on the same lot every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from 5am to 1pm.
History
The history of South Drive-in Theater
South Drive-In opened in 1950 on South High Street, the second drive-in Leo Yassenoff built in Columbus. Skip Yassenoff bought it from his elderly cousin in 1971 and still runs it. The old telephone-tower screen was swapped for a steel one in 1972, and a tornado tore that new screen down on a Wednesday night in late May 1973.
A second screen went in the year 1987. Every other drive-in around Columbus closed between 1965 and 2003. This one is still open, and the flea market has run on weekends since the mid-1970s.
FAQ
Questions about South Drive-in Theater, answered
How many screens does South Drive-in Theater have?
South Drive-in Theater has two screens. Each one shows a different film on the same night, so you choose which screen you want as you pull in and park facing it. Ask at the gate what is playing on each.
What FM frequency does South Drive-in Theater use?
South Drive-in Theater broadcasts its soundtrack on 91.9 FM, 96.7 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.
Is there an intermission at South Drive-in Theater?
South Drive-in Theater runs a 15-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 South Drive-in Theater?
What South Drive-in Theater says: The theater posted 7:35 pm for the first movie on October 9, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:29 pm, so the movie started about 6 minutes after dark. In October it gets dark around 7:20 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
How much does South Drive-in Theater cost?
Admission to South Drive-in Theater is $12.50 per adult, $6.50 per child 5-11. Two adults and two children come to $38. Children 4 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to South Drive-in Theater?
You can bring your own food and drink to South Drive-in Theater 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 South Drive-in Theater?
Dogs are welcome at South Drive-in Theater 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 awaySkyview Drive-InSee this theater
- 64 miles awayDixie Twin Drive-InSee this theater
- 65 miles awayHi-Road Drive-InSee this theater
- 66 miles awaySpringmill Drive-InSee this theater