Formerly: Family Drive-In · Jesup Twin Drive-In
Jesup, Georgia · Founded 1948
A 1948 Georgia drive-in revived after a 1960s closure and now operated seasonally by Ralph and Jamie Hickox.
Jesup Drive-In Theater began in 1948 as the Family Drive-In on Savannah Highway in Jesup, Georgia. Historical accounts describe a multi-year closure before Tim Cockfield acquired the theater in 1970; Ralph and Jamie Hickox took over in February 2012 and restored it for digital-era moviegoing. The venue operates seasonally and publicly markets itself as Georgia's oldest drive-in, though its interruption means the statewide title needs careful qualification.
Ward P. Riggins Sr. opens the Family Drive-In in Jesup as a single-screen outdoor theater.
Source: Explore Georgia, Jesup Drive In; Jesup Movies, The History; Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In
The Family Drive-In closes during the 1960s; available historical summaries differ on the exact closure and reopening dates.
Source: Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In, summarizing Motion Picture Almanac listings and a 1999 Florida Times-Union report
Tim Cockfield acquires the theater after the reported closure period and revives its operation.
Source: Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In, quoting a 1999 Florida Times-Union report; Carload, Jesup Twin Drive-In Theatre
Historical accounts report that Cockfield added a second screen, creating the Jesup Twin Drive-In configuration.
Source: Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In, quoting a 1999 Florida Times-Union report; Carload, Jesup Twin Drive-In Theatre
Ralph and Jamie Hickox purchase the drive-in and begin restoration and modernization work; later in 2012, a digital projector is installed for Screen One.
Source: Savannah Morning News, Jesup Drive-In Theater offers new releases in 1950s setting, June 21, 2012; Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In; Jesup Movies, Ralph & Jamie Hickox
Hurricane Helene damages the theater; the official site says the Hickoxes restored it and reopened it in spring 2025.
Source: Jesup Movies, The Jesup Drive-In Movie Theater; WJCL, The show goes on at the Historic Jesup Drive-In Theater, March 12, 2025
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Jesup opened in 1948, and the venue, Explore Georgia, and several drive-in references call it Georgia's oldest drive-in. But historical theater sources also report that it closed for years in the 1960s before a 1970 revival. That rules out a literal continuous-operation reading, and this record does not independently resolve the full statewide field of active drive-ins under a single definition of oldest.
The historical record summarized by Cinema Treasures reports that the drive-in closed for a period in the 1960s and quotes a 1999 Florida Times-Union report saying it had been closed for 10 years when Tim Cockfield bought it in 1970. Jesup can accurately claim a 1948 origin and later revival, not uninterrupted operation since 1948.
Contemporary 2012 reporting identified Ralph and Jamie Hickox as the new owners after their February purchase, and the current Jesup Movies site identifies them as the owners. Public sources vary between 2011 and 2012 when summarizing the transfer, but the more specific February 2012 reporting is the best-supported date.
Jesup Drive-In has shown movies continuously since opening in 1948.
Historical theater sources report a closure for a period in the 1960s before Tim Cockfield acquired and revived the operation in 1970. The theater has a 1948 origin, but not a documented uninterrupted operating history from that year.
Source: Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In, summarizing Motion Picture Almanac listings and quoting a 1999 Florida Times-Union report
Jesup Drive-In is Georgia's oldest operating drive-in theater.
The phrase is widely used in official tourism and venue materials, but it requires qualification because the Jesup operation had a documented 1960s interruption. The record supports its 1948 original opening, not a resolved statewide claim to uninterrupted operation.
Source: Explore Georgia, Jesup Drive In; Jesup Movies, The Jesup Drive-In Movie Theater; Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In
The drive-in has survived through revival rather than uninterrupted operation. Its later operators adapted the theater with a second screen and digital projection, while the Hickoxes restored and reopened the venue after taking ownership in 2012 and again after Hurricane Helene damage in 2024. Its appeal is the combination of outdoor first-run movies, concessions, and a community-scale experience that modern multiplexes do not duplicate.
Jesup Drive-In Theater opened in 1948 as the Family Drive-In in Jesup, Georgia. Historical theater sources report that it closed for a period in the 1960s, was revived after Tim Cockfield acquired it in 1970, later operated as the Jesup Twin Drive-In, and was purchased by Ralph and Jamie Hickox in February 2012.
Jesup Drive-In opened in 1948 and is widely promoted as Georgia's oldest drive-in theater. However, it had a multi-year closure in the 1960s before reopening under later ownership, so it should not be described as Georgia's oldest continuously operating drive-in. A definitive statewide oldest title depends on whether the comparison uses original opening date, surviving site age, or uninterrupted operation.
Yes. Historical theater records report that the original Family Drive-In closed for a period during the 1960s before Tim Cockfield acquired it in 1970. Cinema Treasures quotes a 1999 Florida Times-Union account saying the theater had been closed for 10 years when Cockfield bought it, although the exact closure and reopening dates need additional archival verification.
3686 Savannah Highway, Jesup, GA 31545
912-427-7254
The official site describes the theater as seasonal; it currently lists a seasonal closure with a planned Spring 2027 reopening, so check the movie line or official site before traveling.