Idaho’s oldest drive-in will end the season with a free movie
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IDAHO FALLS – The Motor Vu drive-In, Idaho’s first and oldest drive-in movie theater, is celebrating the end of the summer drive-in season with a free movie.
The 79-year-old theater at 2095 North Yellowstone Highway in Idaho Falls will close out the season on Saturday with a free screening of “Clue.” The 1985 film directed by Jonathan Lynn features an ensemble cast that includes Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd and others.
It will start around 9 p.m., but the gates will open at 7 p.m. for a “Clue”-themed party. There will be a Clue board game tournament and costume contest. Prizes will be available for the winners. Bounce houses and a pre-show trivia game with prizes will also be available, along with snack bar specials and more.
Motor Vu opened its doors for the first time in 1947. The original owners were Hugo Jorgensen and J.H. Moran, according to an old news clipping, and the first movie shown at Motor Vu was “The Homestretch,” a comedy starring Maureen O’Hara.
The current owners, Ryan and Linda Rumsey, bought the theater in 2019.
The Motor Vu is eastern Idaho’s only remaining drive-in theater, and one of only three left in the state. Nationwide, fewer than 275 drive-in theaters are still in operation.
RELATED | How Motor Vu became Idaho’s first drive-in — and one of its last
Richard Hollingshead opened the first drive-in theater on June 6, 1933, in New Jersey. The industry grew in popularity, and at its peak in the 1950s and ’60s, there were more than 4,000 across the country.
By the late 1980s, more than 75% of drive-in theaters had closed. In the 2000s, with the shift from 35mm film to digital film, drive-in theaters had to replace old projectors with digital projectors at great cost. The digital conversion and the rise of multiplex theaters led many of the remaining drive-ins to slowly close.
The Motor Vu had sat vacant for 11 years before the Rumseys bought it. They had lived next door to the property since 1966 and didn’t want to see it get torn down.
“Drive-ins are a truly special, nostalgic, and memorable way to see a movie. We wanted to preserve the drive-in experience for all Idahoans to enjoy,” Linda says in a news release.
The Rumseys have spent the last eight years maintaining and revitalizing the Motor Vu. With a state-of-the-art 4K RGB laser projector, renovated bathrooms, enhanced concessions menu, and high-quality FM transmitted sound, the Motor Vu drive-in shows new movies every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from Memorial Day weekend until the end of August each year.
The theater has continued to show new movies every weekend, and will return in May 2027 for its 80th year.
“We are the only drive-in in southeastern Idaho still operating, and we understand what an honor this is. It is thanks to the Idaho Falls community that we are still standing! They have supported the Motor Vu, cheered us on, and showed up!” says Linda.
Rett Nelson spoke with Motor Vu co-director Jennifer Spalding in June for an episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning.” Watch it in the video above.