Drive-In Movies Return to Nassau County at Old Bethpage Village

This summer, Nassau County is reviving a tradition that enjoyed particular favor in the mid-20th-century as Old Bethpage Village Restoration, the recreated 19th-century Long Island village, transforms into an open-air, old-fashioned drive-in movie theater, announced Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi.

Every Tuesday at dusk in July and August, Old Bethpage Village’s big screen will provide plenty of punch for families, with a mix of nine action and comedy blockbusters. The drive-in experience will include one concession to newer technology: rather than clipping a small speaker to the car window as in the old days, viewers will have the sound transmitted via their car FM radio. The screen will be located in the parking lot near the entrance of Old Bethpage Village and will accommodate approximately 500 cars.

The fee per car is $20, with summer passes available for all nine movies for $100.

The schedule and times of the movies are as follows:

• July 1, “Transformers” (8:45 p.m.)
• July 8, “Men in Black” (8:45 p.m.)
• July 15, “Disturbia” (8:45 p.m.)
• July 22, “Rocky Balboa” (8:45 p.m.)
• July 29, “Talladega Nights” (8:30 p.m.)
• Aug. 5, “The Mummy” (8:20 p.m.)
• Aug. 12, “Star Trek: Wrath of Khan” (8:15 p.m.)
• Aug. 19, “Hairspray” (8:10 p.m.)
• Aug. 26: “Terminator II” (8 p.m.).

Drive-in movies began operating in the U.S. in 1933, with the first one in New York opening on Long Island in Valley Stream in 1938, according to “driveinmovie.com.” The number of drive-ins peaked in the late 1950s at more than 4,000 before beginning a long decline. Long Island’s last drive-in movie theater, the Westbury Drive-In Theater on Brush Hollow Road, closed in 1998.

“Drive-in movies are a distinct part of Long Island’s entertainment history and for thousands of Long Islanders they evoke a very warm, nostalgic feeling,” says Suozzi. “This program at Old Bethpage will allow Long Islanders of all ages to relive that tradition and enjoy some terrific films.”

Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres. Regular hours are Wed. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. During regular hours, entrance fees are $7 for children 5 - 12 (those under 5 are free), seniors and volunteer firefighters; and $10 for adults. OBVR is located on Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage; for more information, call 516-572-8400.