Drive-in theaters offer families a way to roll back in time
From Talk of Iowa by Iowa Public Radio
June 4, 2026 · 48 min
About this episode
This episode explores the history and current state of drive-in theaters in Iowa, featuring insights from theater operators and a conversation with Iowa's new poet laureate.
At its peak in the late 1950s, there were over 4,000 drive-in movie theaters in the U.S., with nearly 70 in Iowa. Today, there are four drive-in theaters operating in the state. On this episode, we hear from operators of three of the remaining theaters. Then, we talk with Iowa's new poet laureate, Paul Brooke.
People in this episode
Guest: Paul Brooke
Topics covered
- drive-in theaters
- family entertainment
- Iowa culture
- poetry
- history of cinema
Keywords
- drive-in theaters
- Iowa
- Paul Brooke
- family entertainment
- 1950s cinema
- poetry
- cultural history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Iowa Public Radio
Places: Iowa
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