56 Auto Drive-in Theater — Attraction in Town of Louisville

For starters, the recently built bathrooms are quite nice, though I would prefer not to be standing in almost an inch of water the entire time I'm in there. The snack bar is readily accessible, with convenient seating if you need to eat inside due to the weather, and some picnic tables if you wish to eat outside to enjoy the movie. However, the snack selection is a little too limited. They're missing some things that would definitely improve the experience, although the prices are quite reasonable for a movie theater. Also, a welcome switch from previous years, they are employing an usher who actively seeks vehicles with their lights on once the movies start.

Unfortunately, and it's a major problem, the projector is woefully underpowered. Movies are difficult to watch, if not painfully so, because they're so dim. How dim? Think an old projection screen TV with the brightness turned all the way down. Now pretend you're watching it in the middle of the day. Outside.

Also, for some reason, there were color distortions. There were pink smears on any white background. Pink. How was that even possible? Also, the sky (you know, blue) frequently had pink in it, and not during sunset or sunrise scenes. All. The. Time. Just a bit distracting.

The audio broadcast was clear, the sound levels properly maintained so you don't have to worry about constantly fiddling with the radio while you're watching. And not overly compressed on the base end so that things that were supposed to thunder definitely rattled the car.

But that projector. Definitely seriously detracted from the overall experience, and they literally opened for the season the night before. You'd think someone would have checked that with enough time to order a replacement bulb before opening...

Update 15 Sep 2024: Last show of the season. "Beatlejuice 2" and an old time favorite "Gremlins". Took a little over half hour to get in. Went straight to the snack bar and waited an hour to get food. Something should be done about that. Bummer .. no hamburgers, but the fries were great! They held the movie back until most people cleared the snack bar and cars were still coming in. Thank you for being here for another season! Wish people would turn their damn lights off after they park and please don't run your cars during the movie. It was 68°F. You don't need air conditioning. See you next year.

2022: It may take me 40 minutes to get there, but it is the closest drive-in to my home. However, I have never been impressed by ANY drive-in facility until I saw my first movie there. Movies are blockbusters, outside area is kept clean, they've done something to control the mosquitoes, upgraded their restrooms, and have good food at the concession stand. The burgers tasted great, but the cost was hard to swallow. It's a joy every spring to hear they will be operating again...

I had a really wonderful time visiting this drive in. Honestly my only gripe was that they did not accept plastic, only cash. That usually isn't a big deal because facilities they refused to deal in plastic usually have an ATM on-site. However, there is no ATM to be found so just make sure you bring an appropriate amount of cash with you. The food wasn't priced quite as expensively as a normal movie theater. The sound from the movie came through your car stereo when it was tuned to 99.5. Much nicer than the speaker boxes we used to have to use when I was a kid. All in all, our night here was fantastic and I would highly recommend it as a family activity. Bring some lawn chairs, citronella candles, maybe even a blow-up mattress and some blankets. I also recommend plenty of bug spray. We had a great time! Definitely will be...