A drive-in movie theater in Pueblo first opened in 1951 when John Wayne was the country’s number one money-making star and the epic historical drama Quo Vadis was the number one movie, is being listed for sale.
Located at 2620 Santa Fe Avenue, the Mesa Drive-In has been a local and regional entertainment mainstay and in almost continuous operation, except for the covid year of 2020, for more than six decades.
Sitting on a 16-acre site, the property includes three large screens and two separate structures: a concession stand and projection building, both of which underwent renovation in 1994.
That property is large enough to hold up to 1,000 vehicles.
Listed with the Pueblo-based Cordova Investments, the asking price for the Mesa Drive-In is $860,000.
Since 1951, the Mesa Drive-In’s ownership has changed hands only once: in 1993, when it was purchased by Chuck and Marianne James, who also owned the Skyline Theater in Canon City.
Drive-in movie theaters reached their peak nationally in the late 1950s, with more than 4,000 across the country. There are today just a little over 350 drive-in movie theaters nationally, with less than ten such venues still up and running in the Centennial State.
By Garry Boulard
