For nearly three decades, a large stretch of land in Rocky Point served as an outdoor movie theater where hundreds of cars would gather at night.
The Rocky Point Drive-In opened on June 16, 1961, with room for approximately 750 cars, making it one of the larger drive-ins on Long Island at the time. Opening night featured a double bill with “The Alamo,” starring John Wayne, along with “Ole Rex,” featuring Billy E. Hughes. Like many drive-ins of that era, it followed a format that encouraged people to stay for multiple films, turning a simple night out into an extended evening.
The theater operated during a period when drive-ins were still a common part of suburban life. As car ownership increased and communities expanded across Long Island, these outdoor venues offered a practical and popular way to watch movies without leaving your car. For local residents, the Rocky Point Drive-In would have been a regular option during the summer months and beyond.
Creative Commons (Attribution) License. Photo: robboehm via cinematreasures.org.
By the 1970s and into the 1980s, the moviegoing experience began to shift. Indoor theaters and multiplexes became more widespread, and maintaining large outdoor properties became more difficult. At the same time, the land itself became more valuable for other uses. The Rocky Point Drive-In continued operating through these changes but ultimately closed in 1988.
Creative Commons (Attribution) License. Photo: spagnesi via cinematreasures.org
Today, the theater exists mainly in records, photographs, and video. Its history is documented on sites like Cinema Treasures, and images from the property show what remained after it shut down. Footage from later years captures the condition of the site after it was no longer in use. Like many former drive-ins on Long Island, the Rocky Point location is a reminder of a type of place that was once common but has largely disappeared from the local landscape.
Read more about the Rocky Point Drive-in here.
Cover photo: Creative Commons (Attribution) License. Drive-In Booty Facebook Page via www.cinematreasures.org.
Photo: Creative Commons (Attribution) License. Photo: spagnesi via cinematreasures.org
When it opened, Rocky Point was still very much a summer town with stores situated on Broadway. Kids would catch a school bus on Saturdays to go to the movies in Port Jefferson.