This is something to experience, especially after being isolated for all of 2020. Ive been coming here since before I can remember and I've never had a bad movie experience. If you've never been, you need to go; especially with the limited amount of Drive-In Theaters around today. I can only pray that this business gets enough support to stay open for future generations to enjoy. read more

Love this place, and just an hour from the south side. Classic drive in experience, $8 a head to get in. Sound is fine from the car radio. Load up the cooler, caravan with a group, park in the back, bust out the lawn chairs and have a great time. We recommend the fried green beans and the classic "pork fritter" sandwich from the snack bar. Don't miss the retro intermission entertainment! Double feature movies will have you staying late, but that's fine by me. More fun at the movies! read more

49'er Drive-In Theatre - Intermission classic. - Drive-In Theater Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

The 49'er is a staple in the region. It is one of those places in which you can enjoy at any age. Parents take their kids and their friends to enjoy an experience. Dates take their significant others to have a memorable night! Cue the hand holding and the yawn-sneaking of the arm around your date. Also, groups of friends take a blanket to just enjoy a warm night and to socialize around a movie. It is a huge mix of every age and groups. It seems like all of the best places are cash only. This is one of them. I believe they have an ATM, but planing ahead is a must! The prices are not too bad especially when you think about how they stay open and buy the movies. I would be very sadden to see them go out of business. Check times online to see when you can enter the area. Getting a good spot is a must! There's also plenty of lawn space to play frisbee or any other game before the movies. You can see the prices of food online. Enjoy! read more

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Update Before the movies started they played a movie of the national anthem with the lyrics on the screen Some people were out of their cars standing facing it. I thought it was slightly weird and I chuckled. "This is what the re-education camps are going to be like. Just like Red Dawn... except with commercials." I also pondered if "this television station is signing off for the evening." ;) I had not been to a drive-in in Indiana in probably 16+ years so maybe that is normal. Update: The snack bar has been remodeled (I think) since 2006. It is still like a fast food counter rather than a cafeteria self serve style. Super quick and friendly service now. I just visited 8/28/2010. They still play the national anthem and funny vintage movie ads like the singing food and talking hot dogs. http://www.49erdrivein.com/ read more

49'er Drive-In Theatre - National Anthem before the movies (Summer 2006) - Drive-In Theater Near Me - Valparaiso, Indiana

We had a fantastic time at the drive-in last night! We appreciated the family environment. The thing about the evening that impressed me the most was the staff of the concession stand. I was in line a couple of times for the washroom and was able to observe their actions for quite a few minutes. They were polite and patient with everyone - young and old alike. They never acted annoyed or bored at anyone's requests. A particular incident with a special needs man occurred and I was floored at the employee's patience, which wasn't patronizing, but instead allowed everyone present to experience life the same way. read more

It was a fun, unique old school experience. My parents had one of their first dates at this drive in which was sweet to hear about and be there again with them in their seventies now. read more

Love this place! My guy and I try to go every time we're in town. Great prices, yummy food, nice variety of movies. I hope it never closes

I give it one star because they play the same movies over and over. Before these greedy clowns took over you got to watch two new movies every weekend. They have had the same two movies for three weeks now. It's all about the money not for entertainment. Take a look at the reviews. They are scripted. read more

I grew up at the 49'er and love all the memories. It gets it's name from being right of of Indiana Route 49 and serves are a real throw back. The double features are marathons to stay awake to but that is part of the experience. The movie selections are way better than they used to be so if you haven't been in awhile, I suggest you head on down. read more

Who doesn't love the nostalgia of a drive in movie?! Unfortunately the big screen at the 49'er was hit during our high wind snow storm. We'll see if they fix it. As one of the last drive in movie theatres in our area, we'd sure hate to see it close. read more

One of the few drive-in movie theatres still operating in the country! That alone makes it worth the experience. The atmosphere is very friendly to families, friends, and couples alike. A signature tradition of this theatre is to start the night by playing "Beep Beep (The Little Nash Rambler)" by The Playmates before the start of the double-feature (which is another rarity these days). It's quite fun. ;-) In short, if you are in Northwest Indiana during the summer months, this should definitely be on your list of things to do! read more

The 49er is awesome! Just took the family for the double feature last weekend and had a great time. Food was inexpensive and delicious. The quality of the picture was pretty amazing and way better than i remember as a kid. Make sure to get there in plenty of time. They actually were turning away customers because it was filled to capacity. I will definitely be returning again this summer read more

We've went here for years and always loved it. We went this past weekend and they advertised that because of COVID 19 there would be social distancing with parking and everyone would be required to wear masks. When we got in there, there was no one enforcing this at all. Cars were parked right next to each other. When we went to the concessions, people weren't wearing masks and we even had people coughing right up against us as we stood in line. We ended up leaving right after that happened. It was not safe at all. read more

These are a rarity anymore and we are lucky to have one in town. 20 bucks for the wife, myself, and our kid to see two movies and have a good family time outside the house. They still show all the old vintage commercials and sing the national anthem before each show which is awesome. The plea to buy concessions to support the theater would be easier if the concessions were a bit better quality but we usually get something like drinks and popcorn even tho we bring in quite a bit of food from home. One time we even had a pizza delivered to the entrance gate and just went out and met the delivery guy at the road. Quite a few of the hanging speakers don't work anymore so we had to rig up speakers that run from my radio that i set on the hood of my car if we want to sit outside and still hear the movie. Beside that, it's still a blast. They often have special events with people dressed like movie characters for the kids, or animals, cars, or demonstrations before the show to look at. read more

Great time for the family. Bring lawn chairs and a blanket with you. They have twine to hold down your hatch if you have an SUV. The pizza is good,but the concession and bathroom lines are long. Would be incredible if they had pizza runners to the cars. It wouldn't be hard for them to number the spots and let people order from their cars and have the food brought out. It would also be a lot better if they let people reserve parking spots online in advance so that there is not a traffic jam two hours before the doors open. read more

Awesome, family friendly place! They only charge $8 entry fee and they always show a double feature with two new movies. They also have a concession stand that sells snacks. Be sure to bring pillows and blankets to get comfy during the movie, and you can also bring a cooler with snacks and drinks. An awesome way to spend a summer night! Be sure to get there 45 minutes early for a good spot! read more

I really want to give them more stars. Just so so badly. But I just can't. I truly do love it here and hope to see it around for years to come, but I just got a couple of issues. 1: There is totally no way to hear any of the movie if you sit outside of the car, which is kind of fun to do. The kids get a kick out of it. But the speakers are totally gone and they've done nothing to make up for it. So you see people around with huge boom boxes from the 80's sitting around with them. Can you even get those anymore?? 2: I want to eat there soooo bad, I want to support them because I believe when they say it's their main source of income. But the food is just so bad. So freaking terribly bad. The pizza is tombstone or something and the french fries are flaccid and haven't seen seasoning at all in their lifetime. If they had better food this place would be top notch. read more

We always have a great time at the drive in. The only thing I wish they would update is taking debit. Now days it would be pretty simple with an iPad or phone. Other than that we love how cheap it is to watch two movies, and we love our summer drive-in trips. read more

First off... CASH ONLY!! GREAT ATMOSPHERE! WORST FOOD!!!!! They do have ATM with only $2.50 fee. The grounds were well kept and clean. Picture quality of the movie was great. Why not five stars? Well my wife and I decided we would support the drive-in by buying our dinner from the concession stand. We spent $39.25 and ended up throwing half of it away. If we return we will definitely bring out own food. It was HORRIBLE! The pizza was $14.25 for just cheese and it was the worst pizza I have ever had... Just get a Red Barron and sell it for $10.00! Or step up your crust maybe... Kids got chicken finger meal and they were definitely cheap frozen ones bought at the cheapest warehouse the owner could fine! Avoid the food at all cost. This part was very disappointing. Please step it up if you want people to support you at the concession stand. We will be back but will not buy anything from the concession stand! read more

Very awesome place! If you want that great old time feeling then come here. Very spacious and welcoming! Great price for double features and a great assortment of movie snacks for a really nice price! Be sure to come here and bring your kids. read more

2 movies for a great price. The only thing is BRING CASH!!!! You need it to get in and to pay for food at the concessions. They do have an atm but it will cost you. If you want front row, especially to one of the popular movies playing, make sure to get there at least an hour early. Love this drive in. Way better than going to the theater. Support it and go. read more

This place is great and friendly to watch a movie. Great price, I drive an hour just to come here

This is such a great experience! Great movies and an excellent atmosphere. I have been to this drive in many many times and have never been disappointed. This is a perfect place to bring kids and let them play in the grass etc. Plus, this is actually a good deal in light of movies being so expensive these days. read more

I grew up at the 49er Drive in. I started working there when I was 12. Worked there for 16 years. Moved to Georgia. I sure do miss the drive in... read more

If trying to contact the drive in by email forget it. I got no response. I am also dissapointed that the drive in does not offer more Kid friendly movies. pg is not my idea of kid friendly! It would be nice to see both movies G rated at leat once or twice a season..maybe I missed that week??.....IMHO read more

Brand new BIg screen was replaced this year after a storm ruined the old one. Best place to watch a movie, outdoors, sitting in the back of our truck. You get to see two movies for the price of one at a walkin theater. They have room to play prior to the movies and is a great family enviroment. The prices at the consession stand are average so go and have dinner, or all the snacks you want for a fair price. read more

I enjoy the mom and pop owners. who really put alot of heart and soul into keeping the drive in theme family friendly. During the summer, the weekend themes keep families entertained. The menu is reasonably priced and delicious, especially the hot buttered popcorn. You get two movies for the price of a local evening theater ticket and a step back into time. The atmosphere is safe and families are respectful. Try this local drive in, you will not regret the experience. read more

Our family planned an evening out at the 49'er drive-in this weekend. Well, we never got there because there were too many patrons and the show was, for all practical purposes, sold out. (we were an hour and a half early too BTW) We were in a two mile long line leading up to the drive in for about 90min. An Indiana Sheriff finally got information from theater management and communicated to throngs of vehicles waiting to get in that there would be no movie for them that night. I think management needs to figure out a better and more efficient way of managing the amount of vehicles attempting to get in. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Couldn't see because the screen was too dark. Entire night ruined. A guy blocked us in because there's NO parking and popped his hatch open. We asked a worker to ask them to move but the worker suggested WE move. We were BOXED in and had the parking spot first. We could not even get a refund for the movie since we had to ask the person for the millionth time to move so we could leave. After we left they would not refund our money. Never again. read more

We went to go see Star Trek and Suicide Squad tonight. The drive in isn't what it used to be. Their projector is dimming drastically and we couldn't see anything for the first 35 minutes, after which we let management know. When brought to their attention, the staff was VERY rude. We were told that it was just the way the movie was made and that there was nothing wrong with the projector. I'm fairly certain that these movies weren't filmed to be black screen most of the time. We requested a refund so we could leave, which was $20 for the two movie tickets and did not include the additional $22 we spent on cold burgers, stale nachos, and old fries. The refund was denied by the owner himself, stating he did not have the authority to issue the refund for movies we weren't able to watch. He says the drive in is not responsible for the quality of their equipment, blaming the director instead...as though the director and entire crew of a multi-million dollar movie doesn't know a thing about lighting or films. He then proceeded to ignore us and the problem by turning his back and silently walking into his office, refusing to deal with a problem over $20 and polite (albeit dissatisfied) customers. We will not be returning and will not be recommending this place to anyone. It's a shame, too. It had that wonderful old drive in feel, with the old pre-movie ads and the national anthem. I really wanted to love this place. The staff ruined it. read more

Had the pleasure of visiting this drive in last night. WOW, what a clean and truly nostalgic place. The experience was wonderful. The kids had fun, both little and big. Its like taking a step back in time. Grounds and facility are pristine, what a pleasure it was. Thanks to the owners for running such a wonderful drive in. We will visit again soon and often. read more

Clean and family friendly! Great time but the car speaker pods don't work! Which really sucks. You can tune ur radio in but i still want to lay in my truck bed and have the speaker next to me. read more

As far as movies go, it's a good value. The concessions on the other hand are overpriced. Unfortunately there aren't any non-smoking sections as my wife's asthma gets bad enough to require an ER trip if she gets to much exposure. The main problem I had was when I found the owner and reported the couple next to me consuming hard liquor and he didn't care. It wasn't so much as they were being stupid and gonna possibly get themselves killed driving home drunk, but the fact that they had 3 young children with them and their lives would be at risk. When I informed the owner of this his response was "as long as it happens when they are off my property I don't care." Really? That was the last time I went there and won't be back. read more