FLASHBACK (Okaloosa): Stories from Okaloosa County drive-in theaters

There were drive-ins as early as the 1910s, but the first patented drive-in was opened I 1933 by Richard Hollingshead in New Jersey. He created it as a solution for people unable to comfortably fit into smaller movie theater seats after creating a mini drive-in for his mother. Hollingshead advertised his drive-in as a place where “The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are.”

Drive ins began to take off around the country in the 50s and 60s and their popularity was evident in Okaloosa County, too.