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Sinai West Drive-In
VA 654, 1.7 miles west of US 501 north of South Boston, Va.
years of operation: 1976-86
currently: abandoned, lot reverting to woodland; screen gone, but snack bar, marquee and Coca-Cola enter/exit signs remaining (11/97)

Unusual in more than one way. First, it was built in the mid-'70s, to fill the void left by the bulldozing of the 501 several years yearlier. Second, its location was well off the main thoroughfares. It stood on a secondary road a mile west of the rural community of Sinai (hence the name) and a furniture factory located there. The first features on July 30, 1976 were Jaws and Airport '75. By 1980 it had resorted to running a nightly XXX flick after the first feature, a practice it continued through the decade. Another gimmick was "U-Pic-Em", a lotto-type cash giveaway.

Click here to see the 1990 USGS map depicting the drive-in and surrounding area.
Click here to see a 1994 aerial photo of the drive-in.

Photo taken November 1997.

The snackbar, previously hidden in the brush. Photo taken June 2002.

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