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michigandriveins · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 5:08 pm Post subject: 55-HI Drive-In in Houghton Lake

There's a story I heard about a young lad who used to go up north with his family on summer trips. On one of these trips they stopped at a Big Boy to eat. The kid noticed an old abandoned drive-in theater next door, there were a bunch of old junker cars in the lot, all facing the screen. Sorta like this..........

(This photo is not the drive-in in question, it is actually the 131 Drive-In in lower west Michigan. )

After getting permission from the folks, he was able to go explore this unique drive-in graveyard. Today, many years later, he is unable to remember exactly where this Big Boy and drive-in theater were located. However, this scene made quite an impression. He would go on later in life to document and research drive-in theaters, probably the first to do so.

After studying the old aerials, I believe this is the drive-in, the 55-HI in Houghton Lake. This is from 1981, it shows the Big Boy, which was a drive-in, and the 55-HI behind it. The Big Boy is still theretoday, minus the drive-in canopy of course. The 55-HI is long gone, it supposedly closed around 1975.

Who has photos of the 55-HI??

elsrbagokrapp · Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 9:07 pm Post subject:

That arrangement would be fine if the 55-HI owner owned both the Big Boy and the theater.
Otherwise patrons would sneak a burger from the Big Boy Very Happy

No pics here; I'd submit them if I had 'em. Interesting to see that the screen at the 131 was widened equally on both sides.
Most places added the cinemascope width all on one side.

Darryl · Joined: 21 Apr 2011 Posts: 2

Thank you so much! The arial shot is so cool....see how close the highway was (US27 ?). If anyone has photos of the 55-Hi, that would be great. I am the young lad you spoke about, thank you for filling in the blanks.

michigandriveins · Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 8:12 pm Post subject: