Review: The Warwick Drive In

As a child I remember watching the movie Grease and being in awe when Danny and Sandy were at the drive in. It seemed that there was something magical about the drive in. As I grew older I realized that drive in theaters were a thing of the past. I would never get a chance to see a movie while sitting in my car.

When I moved to the Hudson Valley region of New York, I discovered that my childhood dream of going to a drive in theater was not lost forever. While driving around one day I found that I lived only twenty minutes from the Warwick Drive In, in Warwick, New York.

The Warwick Drive In has three movie screens and is open March through September. They close down for the winter season. Each screen plays two movies each night. The first movie usually starts after 8 PM, but this changes depending on when the sun is scheduled to set. These movies are always new releases!

The theater offers double features as well! This means that you can park in front of one screen and see both movies that are playing that night, but you only pay the price for admission. You get to see a movie for free! The drawback is that you must stay at one movie screen and see both of your movies there. You cannot watch the movie on screen one and then move over to screen three for the second movie. The theater does try to match movies on one screen so they will interest the group of people watching. For instance, if they play a cartoon for the first film, the second one played on that screen will be family friendly. If screen two has a comedy for the first film, usually the second movie is a comedy as well. At the Warwick Drive In admission for adults is $7.50. For children ages 4-11 it is $4.50 and children under the age of 4 get in free. The prices are no different than a normal theater

Drive ins have changed since the day of Grease. You no longer have a speaker box that sits on a stand or attaches to your car window. Instead, upon entering the drive in you will be given a list of radio stations. You simply turn your radio to the correct station and the sound comes through your speakers. This allows you to roll up your windows and still enjoy a movie on a chilly night.

The snack bar offers many different types of food in case you get hungry! Try a hotdog, egg roll, hamburger, popcorn, pretzels, nachos, candy, and more. Try to make a purchase at their snack bar because the sell of concessions really keeps this theater alive and going. They do not make much money from ticket sales.

When you visit the drive in for the first time, it is less about the movie and more about the experience. There is just something magical about sitting in your car, holding your loved one's hand, and watching the movie together. If you live in the Hudson Valley area, don't miss on this old time tradition. You will get more from this experience than any regular indoor theater has to offer.