Bengies Drive in Movie Theater in Baltimore, Maryland

The Bengies Drive-In Theater is one of the few remaining drive in movie theaters in the country. Located in the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland, Bengies boasts "the biggest movie theater screen in the USA", measuring 52 feet high and 120 feet wide. It's the perfect change of pace from the crowded multiplexes located in every suburban strip mall, and if you've never been, it's an experience that you don't want to miss out on.

When you pull into Bengies, you are directed to your parking spot, which is guaranteed to have a great view of the massive drive-in movie screen on the lot. You can remain in your car or bring chairs to sit in front of your vehicle. If you remain seated in your car, you hear the movie by tuning your radio to an FM station that carries the film's audio.

Bengies shows a wide range of movies, and focuses on some of the big releases of each week. What they show however is never known far in advance, and typically the movies for the weekend are only made public a few days prior. Therefore if you have an interest in attending you should sign up for their email list to stay informed of the weekend's selection and show times.

They always show at least two movies and in some cases three or more, and they also work in short features and clips in between the movies. You can come when the gates open for the first flick, in which case you will be wise to head down early to avoid the traffic buildup. However, you can also arrive at any time, so if you only wanted to see the second or third movie it won't be a problem to show up at its scheduled time.

Tickets are cheap, ranging from $5 to $8 and are discounted even more if you come for the late showing only. Bengies is typically open from Friday-Sunday nights and the first showing always begins at sundown.

Before you head down to Bengies to catch a movie or two, you should be aware that they are big-time sticklers for their rules. What they say goes, and if there's a knock on them it's their attitude regarding these sometimes small details. Among the points you should remember before going is that if your car has running head lights, you'll need to bring newspaper or some kind of covering to tape over them before entrance.

You can bring in food but only if you pay an outside food fee of $7. Otherwise you can make use of their large snack stand. You cannot show up individually and meet up with your friends in different cars, and you can't try to avoid the traffic by making a late turn into the entrance lane, because you will be reported and thrown out. Additionally, tickets can be paid for with cash only.

With all of those out of the way, a trip to Bengies truly makes for a fun-filled evening. Whether you stay for the entire triple-feature or only come for the movie of your choice, it's a great spot for the family, for a date or with a few friends.

For more information about Bengies, you can visit their official website at www.bengies.com. You will be able to find directions, movie showings and all of the fine print for their house rules, frequently asked questions and more. The Bengies Drive-In movie theater is located in Baltimore (technically Middle River), and is about an hour from the Washington D.C. area.