Mall of America Is Bringing Drive-In Movies Back to Minnesota

There aren't too many places to catch a drive-in movie these days in Minnesota, but the Mall of America is about to add one more.

Minnesota was once home to dozens of drive-ins, but today only a handful of permanent theaters remain. Now the Mall of America (MOA) is bringing the concept back to its parking lot with three separate movie nights planned for its Movies At The Star series this summer and fall.

Minnesota Once Had Dozens of Drive-In Movie Theaters

The drive-in movie theater has been around for a while. According to the Smithsonian, the first permanent drive-in theater opened in June 1933 in Camden, New Jersey. Richard Hollingshead Jr. came up with the idea after experimenting with projecting movies outdoors while people watched from their cars.

SEE ALSO: Minnesota's First-Ever Primark Store Set to Open at Mall of America

That concept took off in the 1950s and early 1960s here in Minnesota and across the country. This PBS story says that by 1958, there were over 4,000 drive-ins operating across the United States, their all-time peak.

Right now, though, Explore Minnesota says there are only five drive-in theaters in operation across the Land of 10,000 Lakes:

1. Elko Speedway & Drive-in Theater — Elko New Market
2. Long Drive-In Theatre — Long Prairie
3. Starlite Drive-In Theater — Litchfield
4. Sky-Vu Drive-In — Warren
5. Verne Drive-In Theater — Luverne

Mall of America Bringing Drive-In Movies Back to Minnesota

But MOA is changing that with its Movies At The Star series, which is set to transform its north parking lot into a genuine drive-in theater. MOA says the events also feature music, lawn games, photo opportunities, and food trucks before you can settle in for a movie at sunset.

Prices run $25 per carload, plus fees, for a maximum of 6 people. If you don't have a car, or don't want to sit in it, you can also purchase a chair for $7 plus fees and watch the movie from their lawn area.

Mall of America Drive-In Movies: Dates, Times and Prices

Here's the Movies At The Star schedule of events:

• Top Gun: Maverick - Saturday, August 22 | Doors Open at 7:30 p.m. | 9 p.m. Showtime
• The Mighty Ducks - Saturday, September 19 | Doors Open at 7 p.m. | 8:30 p.m.
• Showtime
• Hocus Pocus - Saturday, October 17 | Doors Open at 6:30 p.m. | 8 p.m. Showtime

The Mall of America first opened its doors in Bloomington on August 11, 1992, on the site of what used to be home to both the Vikings and Twins-- the old Metropolitan Stadium. Since then, in the ensuing 34 years, it has gone on to become a Minnesota icon and one of the most-visited attractions in the country.