Speak Out: Have You Ever Been to a Drive-In Movie?

Today, there are more ways to watch a movie than ever before. From catching one in the theater, to streaming flicks over the Internet, to watching them on phones, movie buffs have lots of options.

One cool way to watch movies is celebrating a big birthday today.

The very first drive-in opened 80 years ago today in New Jersey. The brainchild of Richard Hollingshead, Jr., a chemical company executive who got the idea after screening movies by nailing a screen to his backyard, the first drive-in was only open for three years, but the idea caught on.

During the heyday of the drive-in, there were more than 4,000 drive-ins across the country. Today, they are a vanishing breed, but there are several drive-ins operating in the region that would make for great day trips.

Across the Georgia line, there's the Tiger Drive-In in Tiger, Georgia. I visited this drive-in for the first (but not the last) time just last summer, when it hosted a screening of “Deliverance,” in honor of the Chatooga River festival and the 40^th anniversary of the classic movie's release.

It was fantastic, seeing a great movie in a great setting, not far from where Deliverance was filmed.

Billy Redden, the banjo-playing boy from the movie, came out to the drive-in to sign autographs and meet fans.

In Monetta, there's the Big Mo, offering three double features each weekend.

In Greenwood, there's the Greenwood Auto Drive-In, which boasts one of the largest screens on the East Coast.

In Beaufort, there's the Highway 21 Drive-In

Speak Out: Have you ever been to a drive-in? Share your memories of drive-ins, either the ones long gone or the ones still in business.

Tell us in the comments!