A romantic excursion and an automobile adventure culminated in the acquisition of the globe's oldest operating drive-in theater.
In the heart of Pennsylvania, a beloved piece of history has a new set of caretakers. Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre, the nation's second drive-in theatre when it opened in 1934, has recently changed ownership.
The new owners, Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney, are no strangers to the drive-in industry. McClanahan, who grew up going to Shankweiler's, managed another drive-in and started a mobile movie business during the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, McChesney, who had never been to a drive-in before 2018, left a stable corporate job in the health care industry to take on this venture.
The couple pooled their savings and secured a $1 million loan to purchase Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre in 2022. They are the fourth owners of the theatre, following the Vautier family who owned it previously.
The drive-in theatre industry began in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, and by the late 1950s, it peaked with over 4,000 drive-ins. However, numbers dropped rapidly in the 1970s and 80s due to increased entertainment options and higher land values. By 2024, there were only 283 drive-in movie theatres left, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.
Despite the industry's decline, Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre has managed to survive and even flourish. It is open seven days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and Thursdays through Sundays the rest of the year. Tickets are $9 for children and $13 for adults.
The success of the business played a role in the timing of McClanahan and McChesney's engagement. Ken Querio, 52, of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, has been going to Shankweiler's since he was a teenager. Querio expressed his gratitude for the continued existence of the theatre, making a point to seek out the owners before a recent viewing of "Jaws."
Wilson Shankweiler, a hotel owner and movie buff, opened Shankweiler's Park-In Theatre on April 15, 1934. The drive-in has been a cherished part of the community ever since, and under the new ownership of McClanahan and McChesney, it looks set to continue its legacy.
