The Memory Lane Drive-In Theater in Monroe, Michigan has closed.

Located north of downtown Monroe less than a mile south of North Telegraph Road, the outdoor movie theater has been operated by Todd Williams since reopening in 2021. It was built on the grounds of the former Denniston Drive-In Theatre, which closed in the mid 1980s.

The news of the closure was announced on the theater's Facebook page with the following message:

PERMANENTLY CLOSED

We sincerely regret to inform everyone that the decision has been made to permanently close Memory Lane Drive-In.

In the last 4 years 35% of the remaining drive-ins in the United States have closed their doors forever citing a combination of multiple reasons including but not limited to poor attendance, streaming, and lack of concessions support. The last one is key especially for drive-ins. Memory Lane has suffered the same fate for the same reasons.

We will continue to operate the Sundance Drive-In located in Oregon, Ohio with hopes that it can survive given its 76 year history and proximity to a larger population. Renovations to the drive-in have already been started with a newly remodeled concessions stand and many more updates are planned for the future. If you love going to a drive-in please visit us and help keep this part of American history alive.

Thank you to EVERYONE that has visited us at Memory Lane Drive-In. We greatly appreciate you supporting what we fought so hard to bring to the area.

The theater's closure leaves just nine operating drive-ins in Michigan. It is the third drive-in to close in Michigan in a year, with the 5 Mile Drive-In in Dowagiac and the Sunset Drive-in in Hartford announcing closures last May.

Where to Watch Movies in the Area

Moviegoers in the area will need to visit one of the other nearby theaters, including the Phoenix Theatres - Mall of Monroe in Monroe, the Emagine Woodhaven in Woodhaven, and the Cinemark Southland Center and XD in Taylor. Those are all indoor theaters, so if you're looking for movies shown under the stars, you'll need to go to the Sundance Drive-In in Oregon, Ohio, the Ford-Wyoming Drive In in Dearborn, or the Summer Drive-In in Plymouth. All three are about 30 miles away.

Related News Articles

• Michigan loses another drive-in as theater announces permanent closure -- Mlive [Apr 19, 2025]
• Monroe's Memory Lane Drive-In closes up for good. -- The Monroe News [Apr 18, 2025]