When I lived in Wisconsin every summer I couldn't wait for the drive-in movie theaters to open. I went to The 41 Twin theater frequently. When we moved to Michigan we were still able to find a drive-in theater but one by one they began closing. On a trip back to Wisconsin when my daughter was 10, my husband and I took her to my old drive-in. Sadly the next year it was torn down. I have so many good memories of drive-in movie days. A few years ago while on a vacation to Traverse City, Michigan we stumbled upon The Cherry Bowl Drive-In. What a wonderful experience, a trip back to the 50's.

CHERRY BOWL DRIVE-IN HISTORY

The theater opened in 1953, the screen had to widened in the late 1950's with the birth of CinemaScope. The sound system still consists of the original vacuum tube amplifiers. They still have speakers that you can attach to your window, but they have also added the option of tuning into a radio station for sound. Each of the speaker posts lights up with a red glow at night which is a very cool effect when you look around. The screen is the largest in Northern Michigan. Although they do use modern equipment to show the movies, they still own the original projectors. They have maintained the 50's theme throughout and you wouldn't feel out of place wearing a poodle skirt.

FAMILY ORIENTED

Every viewing is a double feature and the rating is never higher than PG-13. Old vintage film introductions are used and old cartoons are shown during the intermission. If you get there early, there is mini-golf and a nice playground. The atmosphere is so friendly. They do sometimes have events, like car cruises, hula hoop contests, pony rides. They never show films which glorify teen drinking or drug abuse.

FOOD

The food is not your average theater fair. The treats are homemade, such as brownies and cookies. Fresh popcorn topped with real butter if you like and they make caramel corn fresh as well. They also have hot dogs, pop and a variety of sandwiches. Last but not least ice cream of many flavors are available.

GIFT SHOP

The over all theme is the 50's and they have a small gift shop with t-shirts, hats, bumper stickers. I know it probably sounds silly to get a souvenir from a movie theater, but believe me when I tell you that you won't want to forget this experience. We all ended up getting t-shirts and I wear mine proudly and fondly during the summer. If you have a chance and are in the area, stop in, you won't regret it.