Formerly: Starlight Drive-In · Starlight Twin · Starlight Six
Atlanta, Georgia · Founded 1949
Atlanta's last active drive-in, opened in 1949 and expanded from one screen to a six-screen outdoor movie complex.
Starlight Drive-In Theatre opened in Atlanta in 1949 as a one-screen outdoor cinema on Moreland Avenue. It added a second screen in 1956, expanded to six screens in 1983, and converted to digital projection in 2013. It remains Atlanta's last active drive-in and continues to show films at 2000 Moreland Avenue SE.
The Starlight Drive-In opens in Atlanta as a one-screen outdoor theater.
Source: SAH Archipedia, Starlight Drive-In Theater; Explore Georgia, Starlight Drive-In Theatre; ArtsATL, 70 years at the Starlight Six
A second screen is added, and the drive-in becomes the Starlight Twin.
Source: SAH Archipedia, Starlight Drive-In Theater; Explore Georgia, Starlight Drive-In Theatre
The venue adds four more screens, becoming a six-screen drive-in complex; its marquee is enlarged in the same period.
Source: SAH Archipedia, Starlight Drive-In Theater; Explore Georgia, Starlight Drive-In Theatre; ArtsATL, 70 years at the Starlight Six
Starlight upgrades to digital projection, helping it continue booking modern releases as film distribution changes.
Source: SAH Archipedia, Starlight Drive-In Theater; ArtsATL, 70 years at the Starlight Six
The official site continues to post current movie listings and says the drive-in is open seven nights a week, with showtimes published weekly.
Source: Starlight Drive-In, Now Playing and How to Enjoy Starlight Drive In
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
Local arts reporting and drive-in references describe Starlight as continuously operating since its 1949 opening. That makes it a credible claimant, especially because Jesup Drive-In had a documented 1960s interruption. But this entry does not yet establish a complete statewide comparison or identify primary records proving uninterrupted screenings for every year, so it cannot claim a settled Georgia-wide title.
Architectural, local-arts, and historical-theater sources describe Starlight as Atlanta's only extant and active drive-in or the last drive-in theater in the city. That city-level claim is substantially better supported than a statewide oldest title.
The Starlight added its second screen in 1956 and four more screens in 1983, then upgraded to digital projection in 2013. Those changes are documented by architectural history, state tourism material, and local reporting.
Starlight is Georgia's oldest drive-in theater.
Starlight opened in 1949, while Jesup Drive-In traces its original opening to 1948. Starlight's potentially stronger claim is uninterrupted operation from 1949, but that statewide comparison remains unresolved until other Georgia contenders are fully researched.
Source: SAH Archipedia, Starlight Drive-In Theater; Explore Georgia, Starlight Drive-In Theatre; Cinema Treasures, Jesup Drive-In
Starlight stayed alive by changing with the economics of movie exhibition without abandoning the drive-in format. Adding screens in 1956 and 1983 gave patrons more programming choices, while the 2013 digital conversion kept the operation compatible with modern studio distribution. Its recurring movie schedule and weekend swap meet give the Moreland Avenue property reasons to draw visitors beyond a single film showing.
Starlight Drive-In Theatre opened in Atlanta in 1949 as a one-screen outdoor movie theater. It added a second screen and became the Starlight Twin in 1956, expanded to six screens in 1983, and adopted digital projection in 2013. It remains Atlanta's last active drive-in theater.
Starlight Drive-In Theatre opened in 1949, while Jesup Drive-In traces its original opening to 1948. Starlight is therefore not the oldest Georgia drive-in by original opening year. It is widely described as continuously operating since 1949, but a definitive statewide longest-continuously-operating title needs a full comparison of other Georgia drive-ins and their interruption histories.
Yes. Starlight's official visitor information says the drive-in is open seven nights a week and posts showtimes weekly. The adjacent weekend swap meet also operates on the property, although the number of active screens and specific showtimes can vary by season.
2000 Moreland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
404-627-5786
The official site says the drive-in is open seven nights a week and posts showtimes weekly; check current listings before visiting, especially for seasonal screen availability.