- Gets dark7:07 pmGates open 7:15 pm
- Google rating4.5012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens3
- Price$20a carload
- Outside foodNot allowed
- DogsOn a leash
- Car spots500
- This week's moviesOn Facebook pageWeekly, one lineup post covering the upcoming Fri-Sun screenings
- Opened1958
Starlight Drive-In is at 1985 N Main Street Ext in Butler, Pennsylvania.
It runs three screens. Admission is $10 for ages 12 to 65, $5 for ages 3 to 11 and free under 3, with seniors and military at $8. Outside food and drinks are not allowed.
A Sunday flea market runs on the same lot most weeks.
Location
Where is Starlight Drive-In Theater?
Starlight Drive-In Theater is at 1985 N Main St Ext, Butler, PA 16001. The entrance is at North Benbrook Road. The closest highway is William Flynn Highway.
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Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- Belmont II
- Recon Brewing at Butler Brewery
- Christys Pizza Company
Start time
What time does the movie start at Starlight Drive-In Theater?
What Starlight Drive-In Theater says: Posted 7:50 PM as the showtime for October 10, 2025, with gates at 7:00 PM. Full dark that night came around 7:14 PM, so the movie started about 35 minutes after dark.
What visitors say: Concession wait times draw the sharpest complaints. A June 2026 1-star review describes missing over an hour of the movie waiting on a pizza order that arrived wrong twice.
In October the sun sets around 6:39 pm and it gets dark around 7:07 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Starlight 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 November, on the 15th.
| Month | Gets dark |
|---|---|
| April | 8:27 pm |
| May | 9:01 pm |
| June | 9:26 pm |
| July | 9:23 pm |
| August | 8:48 pm |
| September | 7:57 pm |
| October | 7:07 pm |
| November | 5:31 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 Starlight Drive-In Theater costs
- Per car$20One price for the whole car
- Adult$10
- Child$5Ages 3-11
- Under 3Free*Kids 2 and under
- Senior$8
- Military discount$8With a valid ID
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Full kitchen
- You cannot bring your own food
- Restrooms in a building
- You can bring your dog, on a leash
- Sunday flea market every week (weather permitting), $7 for a 14'x14' vendor space, cafe open 7am for breakfast
- Advance-ticket raffle: one ticket per vehicle, nightly winner posted at the concession stand by 10pm
- Pup cups sold at concession for dogs
- $25 gift certificate raffled weekly to one flea-market vendor
- Also here: flea-market
Showtimes
What's playing at Starlight Drive-In Theater this week
Starlight Drive-In posts this week's movies and start times on its Facebook page, usually weekly, one lineup post covering the upcoming Fri-Sun screenings. Check there for tonight's show.
Reviews
What visitors say about Starlight Drive-In Theater
From 981 visitor reviews, 4.5 stars.
Concession wait times draw the sharpest complaints
- A June 2026 1-star review describes missing over an hour of the movie waiting on a pizza order that arrived wrong twice
- An August 2026 3-star review calls the burgers, hot dogs and fries "not edible"
Screen assignment mix-ups
- A June 2026 1-star review reports being directed to screen 3 but having a movie booked for screen 2, discovered an hour in
Now a 3-screen operation, not the 5 screens on record elsewhere
- Multiple 2026 reviews and the venue's own nightly Facebook lineup list only Screen 1, 2 and 3
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens 7:15 pm
- Gate opens 7:15pm, showtime 8:10pm as of early September; times move earlier through the season as dusk shifts.
- Buy advance tickets at starlightdrive-in.com/event and your vehicle gets one raffle ticket; the nightly winner is posted at the concession stand front window by 10pm.
- Switching screens mid-lineup is not permitted under any circumstances.
- Gluten-free pizza, soft pretzels, buns and brownies are available, plus lactose-free, oat milk and sugar-free ice cream.
- Dog-friendly: they sell "pup cups" at the concession stand.
- Outside food and drinks are not allowed on the lot.
- A flea market runs every Sunday (weather permitting), 14'x14' space for $7, plus a cafe open at 7am for breakfast; one vendor wins a $25 gift certificate weekly.
- The last carload night of the 2026 season ($20/vehicle) was announced for Sept 5-6; carload pricing is an occasional special, not the standard per-person model.
History
The history of Starlight Drive-In Theater
The lot opened in August 1958 as the single-screen Pioneer Drive-In, built by father-and-son team William and Chester DeMarsh with a 600-car capacity. It was later run by Epic Theatres, expanded to five screens, and renamed the Starlight Drive-In by 2017.
A March 2025 Cinema Treasures comment states Epic no longer operates it. The venue's own September 2026 Facebook post marks its 10th season under the Starlight name and 67th season of operation on the site overall, and it currently runs three digital screens rather than the five on record historically.
FAQ
Questions about Starlight Drive-In Theater, answered
How many screens does Starlight Drive-In have?
Starlight Drive-In has three 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 time does the movie start at Starlight Drive-In?
What Starlight Drive-In says: Posted 7:50 PM as the showtime for October 10, 2025, with gates at 7:00 PM. Full dark that night came around 7:14 PM, so the movie started about 35 minutes after dark. In October it gets dark around 7:07 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
When is Starlight Drive-In open?
For the 2026 season, Starlight Drive-In is open from April to November. It closes for the winter and reopens in the spring, so a trip outside those months is not possible.
How much does Starlight Drive-In cost?
Admission to Starlight Drive-In is $20 a carload, $10 per adult, $5 per child 3-11, $8 for seniors and military. That is one price for the whole vehicle, so five of you pay what two would. Children 2 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to Starlight Drive-In?
Starlight Drive-In does not allow outside food or drink. Everything you eat has to come from the counter, which is how a lot like this one keeps its gate price down. Eat before you go, or plan on buying dinner there.
Are dogs allowed at Starlight Drive-In?
Dogs are welcome at Starlight 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
- 29 miles awayRiverside Drive-InSee this theater
- 33 miles awayDependable Drive-InSee this theater
- 37 miles awayReynolds Drive-InSee this theater
- 47 miles awayMoonlite Drive-InSee this theater