Remembering the old Wayne Drive-In

The Wayne Drive-In

The Wayne Drive-In opened in 1949 on Michigan Avenue near Hix Road. It was built by the Shafer family who owned and ran the Old Wayne Theater and the State Theater, and they claimed at the time it was the largest drive-in in Michigan.
It began with one screen and a capacity of 850 cars. The 35-acre site was eventually expanded to 1,500 cars, and in 1971 a second screen was built. Workers at the nearby Ford plant were said to be able to watch movies from a second-floor break room, and even had a speaker wired up.
In the 1980s a third and fourth screen were added, and by all accounts the drive-in was still very popular when it closed suddenly in 1990. Ford Motor company had bought the land and wanted to expand the plant and railroad lines onto the property.
All the screens and buildings were torn down, but the neon “Wayne Drive-In” sign was saved. It reappeared on an episode of Discovery Channels “Chasing Classic Cars” when the show’s host, Wayne Carini bought it to restore it. The sign is currently installed on his private farm in Connecticut.
Many Wayne residents have fond memories of going there to see movies, or of sneaking in. At the museum, we have a few of the speakers and heaters, some signage and a reel of film from the projection booth. This spring we hope to remodel our theater area and have more artifacts out on display, so come visit us!