Photo by William Sasser. Used by permission of Tim Thompson (driveintheater.com).
360 Drive-In
VA 360 (old US 360) east, Danville, Va.
capacity: 421 cars
years of operation: 1950-84
currently: partially displaced by VA 360 bypass in mid-'90s;
as of June 2002, screen was still standing and a church was set to open
on the site
Founded by Leonard W. Lea, who also operated the Lea and North theatres in town. Later part of the Dixie Drive-Ins chain.
The 360 was a notable site for concerts by rock and R&B acts like the Tams in the '60s, as documented in these photos.
Click here to see the 1985 USGS map depicting the drive-in and
surrounding area.
Click here to see a 1994 aerial photo of the drive-in lot. As
you can see, the northwest corner has already been flattened to make way
for the yet-to-be-built bypass. The screen, at bottom, is the only structure
standing.
Photo by William Sasser. Used by permission of Tim Thompson (driveintheater.com).
June 2002: screen facing still-empty field.
Got some additional information, or some pictures or stories about this drive-in you'd like to share? Email me -- thanks!
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