Throughout Austin, there are many pandemic friendly ways to spend time with friends and family. While most people would shy away from movie theaters at this time, Austin, Texas gives a new perspective on drive-in theaters making them more popular now than ever. 

The height of the drive-in popularity in the 1950s and the 1960s inspires Doc’s Drive In Theater in Buda, just 20 minutes out from James Bowie High School, located at 1540 Satterwhite Rd. Chris and Sarah Denny, the owners, opened Doc’s Drive-In Theatre in 2018. The owner’s free-thinking spirit allowed them to recreate the drive-in theater tailored to the creative Austin lifestyle. 

Doc’s Drive In theater has many extra amenities that create a totally different atmosphere than you might expect. The theater includes Doc’s Diner which is an on-site restaurant with full-service dining. 

One of the most unique things about this Theater is its themed miniature homes for overnight stays. Each room is themed after famous movies, like Harry Potter, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or Star Wars. 

During these times it is important to be mindful that when you are leaving your home to understand that going out is still no different. At Doc’s, anytime you want to leave your vehicle you must be wearing a mask. Ticket prices start at about $12 for the car slot and an additional $10 per passenger. 

For those who want a spin on the traditional drive-in, Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In is a rural rooftop drive-in theater deep within the heart of downtown Austin. It is located at 2015 E M. Franklin Ave and was opened in August of 2020 making this theater about three months old. 

Blue Starlite Drive-In collaborates with different restaurants to expand their menus to more than just one. On the website, you can order from a variety of restaurants downtown and have it delivered straight to the theater. You can order from places like Wu Chow and Rosedale Kitchen. They also provide a concession stand where you can purchase sweets or classic popcorn. 

At Blue Starlite there are many regulations guests must follow in order to maintain the safety of others. You must stay in your car at all times, if you want to order food or get concessions you would order them online and have someone deliver them to you. Unfortunately, you cannot watch the movie from a truck bed or have your windows down. Windows have to be at least 75% up if you are not wearing a mask. 

Tickets are sold as bundles, for example if you wanted a car slot you would have to purchase a bundle first. A two-person bundle comes with popcorn and movie theater candy for $45. Each individual passenger is $10 more. 

An alternate option to drive-in theaters is renting out your own theater so you and your friends can enjoy movies safely. At the Alamo draft house on Slaughter Lane, you can rent out your own theater starting at $150. 

When making your reservation, you can choose from a limited variety of classic movies. Most of these movies are older like Nightmare on Elm Street or Casablanca. 

A personal theater costs $150 so if you were split that with five friends, each can pay $30 and you can socially distance yourself inside. At the theater, you can invite up to a maximum of 30 people. However, it is not very cost-efficient, as you still have to pay for your own food and concessions. 

The popularity of drive-in theaters creates a new atmosphere for families and friends. Austin’s free-thinking culture allows businesses to be creative and original. Although these options are all theaters, they each have unique aspects to them that make them so spectacular.