Jackson’s Three Former Drive-In Theaters

Growing up in Mid-Michigan during the 1950s and 60s, there is no doubt that many a teenager spent some time at the nearby drive-in theaters.

If you took a date to the drive-in, there was no question things would get somewhat ‘romantic’. If you were dateless, then you’d grab some friends, drinks, and snacks and jam the car with as much and many as you could. Sometimes you’d have to sneak one of those poor hapless saps in the trunk in order to save on the admission cost.....then drive around to the back and let him out.

Drive-in attendants got smart, though. They would post someone in the back in order to catch the ones sneaking in thru the trunk. But then WE ended up getting smarter...we took out part of the back seat, removed the partition between the trunk and back seat, and the trunk sneakers could crawl into the back seat right from the trunk. No one was the wiser.

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Jackson had three drive-ins: the most popular was the Jackson Drive-in, followed by the Bel-Air and coming in wayyy behind was the Hill Top. Not many people recall the Hill Top, because it was only around for maybe one year, from 1951-1952.

What were Jackson's Three Drive-In Theaters?

The HiIl Top is "the drive-in that time forgot". It’s address was listed as 7700 Lansing Avenue, right at the tip of (what is now) an emergency landing strip on the east side of US-127, just south of the Berry Road exit. Having a 16-millimeter projection and a capacity of 80, the Hill Top garnered one online recollection: “The place was pretty nasty.” That may have summed up why it only lasted one year. No photos of the Hill Top seem to exist, save for a couple of old newspaper ads.

The Bel Air was located at 2603 W. Michigan Avenue. It opened on April 29, 1955 with a capacity of 550 cars. Their opening day slogan was “Come Out West. See Your Stars Under The Stars,” as their premiere double feature was two westerns: “Saskatchewan,” and “Thunder Bay.” After a good 32-year run, the Bel-Air closed in 1987. It was demolished and the site is now part of Avenue Auto.

The Jackson Drive-In Theatre was Jackson’s first, and arguably the most popular. Sitting at 4400 Ann Arbor Road, the Jackson opened on April 17, 1948 and had a successful stretch of 40 years, closing in 1987.  It was torn down, leveled, and is now the home of Choice Laboratories.

Admission for both the Jackson and Bel-Air was 50 cents, kids under 12 free, kids got candy, and the women got free gifts. You also had better bring some mosquito repellent, or else go to the concession stand and buy one of those Pic “mosquito coils”, which not only was supposed to keep the skeeters away but also stunk up your whole car.

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