Beloved Idaho Drive-In Theater Closing Permanently After 2024 Season

When it comes to the number of drive-in theaters per capita, Idaho’s pretty darn lucky! DriveInMovie.com says that we rank high on very high on that list. Sadly, one of those nostalgic theaters will be saying goodbye after the 2024 season. 

Going into 2024, Idaho still had seven fully operational drive-in theaters: Sun Set Auto Vue in Grangeville, Motor-Vu Drive-In in Idaho Falls, Idan-Ha Drive In in Soda Springs, Teton Vu Drive-In in Rexburg and a little closer to home Parma Motor-Vu in Parma, Frontier Drive-In at the Mill in Emmett and Terrace Drive-In in Caldwell. 

READ MORE: What Happened To Idaho’s Celebrated Drive-In Movie Theaters?

Next Spring when the 2025 drive-in movie season begins, Teton Vu will NOT be returning. The operators, which also operate Paramount 5, posted the following message on Facebook on July 18. 

We are sad to announce the permanent closure of the Teton Vu- Drive-In. The Last day that we will be opened to the public and then last night that we will be showing movies will be on August 24, 2024. We are so grateful for all of your love and support throguhout (sic) the years that we have been open. Come Join us while you can!

Movie lovers in Eastern Idaho were crushed and flooded the theater’s post with positive comments about how much they enjoyed the drive-in theater. A few days later, the operators explained the background for the closure. It turns out the theater didn’t own the land that it's been operating on. They’ve been leasing it, knowing that one day the owners planned to use it for development. 

The process to get construction approved and permitted can be lengthy, so the current owners have allowed the theater to continue operating until they can break ground on the project they’ve been working on. East Idaho News reports that the project will include the construction of new townhomes and apartments to keep pace with how quickly Rexburg has grown.

Teton Vu, itself, opened 75 years ago. 

Other Idaho Drive-Ins Get Some Upgrades

While we’re sad to see one of Idaho’s nostalgic drive-ins hang it up, other drive-in managers are trying to take their facilities to the next level As we recently reported, Maya and her team at Tiki’s Shave Ice and Mobile Bar recently took over the management of Caldwell’s Terrace Drive-In. The theater has been part of her family for 34 years. 

In addition to their traditional concession stand, they’re now serving shaved ice and have the ability to host food trucks. They’re also working on adding a seating area for families with picnic tables and chairs and a separate seating area where they can serve beer and wine. The theater has also added an option to pre-purchase tickets online. 

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Over in Driggs, the new owners of the Spud Drive-In have some big plans for rehabbing the theater after it was damaged by high winds a few years ago. 

Local News 8 in Idaho Falls reports that MD Landscaping and Nursery now owns the theater, so it shouldn’t surprise you that the vision doesn’t just include a rebuild of the screen. They’re hoping to make it a real community gathering place and naturally, that includes a big change in the landscaping, adding new cabins to the property and building a new concessions building. The Spud Drive-In’s project is currently going through the permitting and zoning process.