- Gets dark7:20 pmGates open 7:30 PM
- Google rating4.6012345678901234567890123456789reviews
- Screens2
- Price$25a carload
- Outside food$10permit per car
- DogsOn a leash
- Sit outsideYes
- FM87.9 FM, 106.9 FM
- Car spots500
- This week's moviesOn Facebook pageSeveral times a week
- Opened1949
Tiffin Drive-In Theater is at 4101 OH-53 in Tiffin, Ohio, south of Toledo.
It has two screens, with FM frequencies 87.9 and 106.9. Pay $25 for the car, $20 for two people, or $10 for one person. Kids 9 and under get in free. Buy tickets online through SimpleTix or pay at the gate.
As of 2026, the gate opens at 7:30 p.m. and movies start about 8:30 p.m. There is a diner onsite, a playground for kids, and leashed dogs are welcome. Movies play rain or shine. If you want to bring your own food or drinks, you buy a $10 permit for the car.
Location
Where is Tiffin Drive-In Theater?
Tiffin Drive-In Theater is at 4101 OH-53, Tiffin, OH 44883. The entrance is at West County Road 592. The closest highway is OH-53 (North Plank Road).
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Where to eat nearby
If you would rather eat before the movie than at the counter:
- Double Barrel Bar And Grill in Tiffin
- Stiney's
- Hoptometry Brewing Company
Start time
What time does the movie start at Tiffin Drive-In Theater?
What Tiffin Drive-In Theater says: The theater posted 8:15 pm for the first movie on September 11, 2026. Full dark that night was 8:17 pm, so the movie started right at dark.
In October the sun sets around 6:52 pm and it gets dark around 7:20 pm.
Dark means full dark, about 25 minutes after sunset. It is not a time Tiffin 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 | 8:40 pm |
| May | 9:15 pm |
| June | 9:40 pm |
| July | 9:36 pm |
| August | 9:02 pm |
| September | 8:10 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 Tiffin Drive-In Theater costs
- Per car$25One price for the whole car
- Adult$10
- Under 10FreeKids 9 and under
Amenities
Food, restrooms and rules
- Full kitchen
- 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
- $10 per carload every Tuesday
- Free cornhole rental at the Moonlite Diner with an ID deposit
- Reserved parking spots can be picked online in advance
- Minivan drivers can back in and put the hatch up to watch, but if it sticks up above the roofline staff hand you a length of twine to pull it down so people behind can still see.
- A ticket is treated as a license to one screen's double feature only; watching the other screen's second movie means buying another ticket, per the movie studios' rules.
- Bringing food in without the $10 outside food permit draws a $15 fine, or you can leave without a refund instead of paying it.
- Also here: playground, diner
Showtimes
What's playing at Tiffin Drive-In Theater this week
Tiffin Drive-In Theater posts this week's movies and start times on its Facebook page, usually several times a week. Check there for tonight's show.
Reviews
What visitors say about Tiffin Drive-In Theater
From 574 visitor reviews, 4.6 stars.
Friendly, fast staff
- Staff friendliness is the most repeated compliment in this listing's reviews, explicitly called out in reviews from Jun 2026 and Aug 2026 (x2); Google's own topic tracker on the listing counts 25 mentions of friendly staff.
- An Aug 2026 review adds that food orders came out quickly.
Clean bathrooms
- Reviews from Jun 2026 and Aug 2026 both single out clean bathrooms by name; Google's topic tracker on the listing counts 7 mentions of clean bathrooms across its reviews.
Cheap, decent concessions
- Reviews from Jul 2026 and Aug 2026 call the food court 'pretty cheap' and the concessions 'decently priced'; one Jul 2026 review calls the food itself 'middle of the road' but says the price and atmosphere make up for it. Google's topic tracker counts 29 concession mentions overall.
Recently renovated
- Google's review topic tracker on the listing counts 8 mentions of renovations across its reviews, matching the venue's own site, which describes a new building, new equipment, new screens, new projectors and an expanded lot completed for the 2022 season.
Before you go
Know before you go
- The box office opens 7:30 PM
- Vehicles under 5 feet can park anywhere, but the front rows near yellow-topped poles are recommended. Vehicles 5 to 6 feet park in the middle or back next to a blue or red-topped pole. Vehicles 6 feet or taller must park in the back next to a red-topped pole.
- Rain or shine, the movie plays
- Reserve your parking spot online in advance for free; walk-up tickets get assigned a spot at the gate instead.
- Bring a portable FM radio if you plan to sit outside your car or your car radio does not work.
- Kids can sit on top of the car, but you have to park in the back so people behind you can still see.
- Online ticket sales cut off at 7:30 p.m. the night of the show; buy earlier or plan to get tickets at the gate.
- Only want the second feature? You can show up just for it, but you still pay the full regular admission, not a reduced rate.
- Bringing your own grill is allowed with the $10 outside food permit, but no grilling with open flames directly on the ground.
History
The history of Tiffin Drive-In Theater
The Tiffin Drive-In in Tiffin, Ohio, opened on June 10, 1949, built by Brinkman and Shults Inc. with a parking ramp for 500 cars. Howard Shults added the Fun Farm petting attraction in 1951, and the screen was widened to 88 feet for CinemaScope in 1955. General Theatres Co. bought the drive-in in 1966.
The Saunders family bought it in 2011, added a second screen and ran it as the Field of Dreams for a time. Michael Cole bought it in 2020, closed it for the 2020 and 2021 seasons for a rebuild with new screens, a new concession building and new projectors, and reopened it in April 2022.
FAQ
Questions about Tiffin Drive-In Theater, answered
How many screens does Tiffin Drive-In Theater have?
Tiffin 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 Tiffin Drive-In Theater use?
Tiffin Drive-In Theater broadcasts its soundtrack on 87.9 FM, 106.9 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 Tiffin Drive-In Theater?
What Tiffin Drive-In Theater says: The theater posted 8:15 pm for the first movie on September 11, 2026. Full dark that night was 8:17 pm, so the movie started right at dark. In October it gets dark around 7:20 pm. Check with the theater on the day you go.
How much does Tiffin Drive-In Theater cost?
Admission to Tiffin Drive-In Theater is $25 a carload, $10 per adult. That is one price for the whole vehicle, so five of you pay what two would. Children 9 and under get in free.
Can I bring my own food to Tiffin Drive-In Theater?
You can bring your own food to Tiffin Drive-In Theater 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 Tiffin Drive-In Theater?
Dogs are welcome at Tiffin 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
- 26 miles awayStar View Drive-InSee this theater
- 34 miles awaySundance Drive-InSee this theater
- 41 miles awayHi-Road Drive-InSee this theater
- 42 miles awaySpringmill Drive-InSee this theater