How a Pennsylvania couple saved America's oldest drive-in.
America's first drive-in theater opened its doors in 1934, and it is located nine miles to the northwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The only remaining drive-in theater from the early 1930s is Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre, which opened as America's second drive-in theater.
Wilson Shankweiler opened the theater, which he initially referred to as Shankweiler's Park-In Theatre.
There are currently about 300 drive-in theaters in operation across the country, 29 of which are found in Pennsylvania.
and as it approaches its 90th birthday, two new owners have taken over the management of the business.
Paul and Susan Geissinger, who had owned the Shankweiler's since 1984, sold the theater to Lauren McChesney and Matthew McClanahan in November 2022.
McChesney said the theater, on the market for years, would become a gas station. He said the couple decided to buy Shankweiler's after hearing the news.