- Gets dark7:29 pmGates open 6:30pm
- Google rating4.6012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens3
- Price$10per adult
- Outside food$10permit per car
- DogsOn a leash
- Sit outsideYes
- Car spots456
- This week's moviesOn Facebook pageWeekly
- Opened1960
Swingin' Midway Drive-In is at 2133 TN-30 outside Athens, Tennessee.
It has three screens and opens Friday through Sunday, spring through fall in 2026, with a snack bar and a playground on site.
Location
Where is Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater?
Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater is at 2133 TN-30, Athens, TN 37303. The entrance is at Casey Gap Zion Hill Road. The closest highway is US-411 (David W. Lillard Memorial Highway). Landmarks: Chestuee Road at the opposite end of the road.
Loads Google Maps when you tap it
Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- Midway Milkshake
- Hardee's
- McDonald's
- Waffle House
- Michael's Casual Dining
Start time
What time does the movie start at Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater?
What Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater says: The theater posted that the movie starts at dusk, around 7:30 pm, on October 2, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:46 pm, so the movie started about 16 minutes before dark.
In October the sun sets around 7:03 pm and it gets dark around 7:29 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Swingin' Midway 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 | 8:36 pm |
| May | 9:03 pm |
| June | 9:24 pm |
| July | 9:22 pm |
| August | 8:54 pm |
| September | 8:11 pm |
| October | 7:29 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 Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater costs
- Adult$10
- Child$5Ages 4-11
- Under 4FreeKids 3 and under
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Snack bar
- Outside food is allowed with a $10 permit, bought at the gate
- Restrooms in a building
- Playground
- You can bring your dog, on a leash
- You can sit outside your car
- Outside food pass: $10 food pass at the ticket booth is required only if bringing outside food; not needed to buy from the snack bar
- Card surcharge: $0.50 added to all digital/card payments at the box office and snack bar
- Online booking fee: $1.50 per ticket, separate from the card surcharge
- No re-entry: leaving the property and trying to re-enter is not allowed
- No screen switching: not permitted by car or on foot once parked
- No food deliveries accepted at the venue
- Radio rental: limited FM radios for rent at the snack bar, driver's license required as ID
- Online tickets: no refunds, no rainchecks, all sales final
- One-off carload promo seen: $20/carload for a single Labor Day weekend Sunday (2026-09-06), not the standing price model
Showtimes
What's playing at Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater this week
Swingin' Midway 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 Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater
From 677 visitor reviews, 4.6 stars.
Food and concession service runs slow on busy nights
- A July 2026 1-star review says a barbecue sandwich and funnel cake took so long the family missed half the movie getting food
- The same review says the barbecue sandwich arrived cold and the funnel cake was handed to the wrong customer
Restrooms called out as clean
- An August 2026 review: bathrooms are super clean, called out as a plus for a family with a potty-training child
Third screen shifted the lineup toward family/animated titles
- A 2023 review (edited Aug 2026) notes multiple screens
- A July 2026 1-star review says adding screens turned it into a mostly cartoon lineup and that food orders are too slow to make it back before the short features end
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens 6:30pm
- Rain or shine, the movie plays
- Do not leave the property and try to re-enter.
- arrive early for the playground and a parking spot
- order snack bar food early in the evening; service slows and can arrive cold when it's busy
- bring your own FM radio for sound; a limited number are for rent at the snack bar (driver's license required)
History
The history of Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater
The Midway Drive-In opened in 1960.
FAQ
Questions about Swingin' Midway Drive-In Theater, answered
How many screens does Swingin' Midway Drive-In have?
Swingin' Midway 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 Swingin' Midway Drive-In?
What Swingin' Midway Drive-In says: The theater posted that the movie starts at dusk, around 7:30 pm, on October 2, 2026. Full dark that night was 7:46 pm, so the movie started about 16 minutes before dark. In October it gets dark around 7:29 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
How much does Swingin' Midway Drive-In cost?
Admission to Swingin' Midway Drive-In is $10 per adult, $5 per child 4-11. Two adults and two children come to $30. Children 3 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to Swingin' Midway Drive-In?
You can bring your own food to Swingin' Midway Drive-In once you have bought a permit for $10 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 Swingin' Midway Drive-In?
Dogs are welcome at Swingin' Midway 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 Tennessee
- 44 miles awayParkway Drive-InSee this theater
- 66 miles awaySparta Drive-InSee this theater
- 91 miles awayMontana Drive-InSee this theater
- 103 miles awayStardust Drive-InSee this theater