Two Movies, One Ticket: This Colorado Drive-In Is Keeping the Good Old Days Alive

While drive-in theaters have disappeared across much of the country, one old-school Colorado spot is still keeping the tradition alive — without charging a fortune to do it.

The 88 Drive-In Theatre in Henderson, just north of Denver, continues to offer moviegoers something increasingly difficult to find: two first-run movies for around $10.

It’s a throwback to an era when a night at the movies meant loading everyone into the car, finding a good parking spot and watching a giant screen light up after sunset.

Drive-in theaters were once everywhere in America, but changing movie habits, rising property values and the economics of operating huge outdoor theaters caused most of them to disappear. The 88 Drive-In has managed to hang on.

And part of what makes this place special is its location.

Henderson is close enough to Denver to make the drive easy, but far enough outside the heart of the city that nighttime actually feels dark. Once the sun disappears behind the mountains and the giant screen comes to life, you get an experience that simply doesn’t exist inside a traditional movie theater.

You’re sitting outside under the Colorado sky, watching current movies from your own vehicle with the mountains not far away.

The experience starts before the movie even begins. The glowing ticket booth, old-school signs and rows of cars lined up in front of the screen give the place the kind of nostalgic atmosphere that’s increasingly hard to find.

And unlike plenty of nostalgia-driven experiences that now come with premium prices, the 88 Drive-In remains surprisingly affordable.

For roughly $10, moviegoers can settle in for a double feature and spend several hours watching movies under the stars.

It’s simple, inexpensive and unapologetically old-school.

Colorado has changed dramatically since drive-ins were at their peak, but on a summer night in Henderson, the 88 Drive-In still offers a little piece of the way movie nights used to be.