We ventured out to the Outdoor Drive-In theater for the 50th Anniversary showing of "Jaws" on Saturday August 30, 2025. The place was jam packed with cars and people. The box office employees were very efficient and moved the cars along quickly. The concession line for popcorn and drinks was very long but the employees moved it along smoothly and they kept the concession area very clean. Popcorn was fresh and hot and best of all, you put the butter on, the hot butter machine is public access. We rented a portable, battery powered Ryobi speaker to listen to the film which was great. It was a nice evening, but the Fall weather temperature drops drastically at night, so if you sit outside of the car, bring blankets. Five stars! read more

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Going to the McHenry Outdoor always brings sweet childhood memories to me. I was raised in Chicago, where there were many "drive-in" movie theatres to choose from, seven days a week, all spring, summer & fall! I was thrilled to discover the Outdoor when I relocated to McHenry as a young adult! I bring my friends with me and we definitely visit the snack area. Looking forward to my first visit of the year, and look forward to bringing the young ones so they can have some sweet memories, too read more

How can you not like this place? I can't see I grew up with going to an outdoor theater, but this is a really great time, plus you can bring your dog. The place is reasonably clean and the people are certainly nice. It has never been too crowded when I have been there and I'm not sure if it gets super crowded? But truly, we love having this place nearby read more

There was a mishap with understanding of when specific movies played. I reached out and Joe was so polite and understanding. This place shows great movies, reruns, and has great facilities. read more

Is it expensive? Yes. But you're paying for the experience, and in these pandemic times, social distancing in groups can be hard. Being outdoors and feeling semi-normal and back to pre-COVID was awesome. The team here is friendly, patient, and extremely strict on wearing masks when you're away from your vehicle, so we felt very safe all-around. We saw PeeWee's Big Adventure, and couldn't stay to watch BeetleJuice. If you stay for both features, the ticket prices provide more value. The concessions are a little pricey, but you can bring your own food and drinks. The bathrooms are pretty descent. Our only complaint was that we were eaten by mosquitos, and someone was smoking close by, which impacted us when the wind would shift. We'll be back with citronella and some Taco Bell! read more

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Love the experience and if this was the only drive in theatre around then I'd probably rate them higher. But they are expensive, for the same service. They charge $12 per person for adults. So 4 of us paid $48 when we had just paid the flat rate of $30 for our car at the drive in in Hoffman Estates. The only thing this theatre has that Hoffman Estates doesn't is a concession stand with actual food, but it's overpriced. $7 for a bucket of popcorn, $4 for a bottle of water?? They have burgers, hot dogs, pizza, nachos, etc. whereas Hoffman Estates has a cart that comes around with candy and snacks only. But you can bring outside food into either, so why would we pay more to come here? We did see a double feature which added to the value, but I doubt that we'll be back. read more

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Just can't express how much I love this place!! Many a beautiful summer night spent enjoying the best movies with epic snacks!

We love this place! It's far from us but we can make a trip once a summer. So happy to still have a drive-in around! I'm laughing at the guy that gave 1 star because he paid and then left and tried to get back in. First time out of the house? People will literally complain about anything. Staff does a great job. Keep up the great work! read more

Five stars for the McHenry Outdoor Theatre - it's so great to see a drive in theatre as so many in the area have unfortunately closed. The ticket prices are pretty reasonable and comparable to the actual movie theatre ($12 a person) but that includes 2 movies - they play a variety of a new one first and sometimes another new one or an old one - I saw A Quiet Place 2 and Friday the 13th (original) in the same night. Concessions can be a little pricey but that's where they make their money - still less than an actual movie theatre concession prices. It's a great experience - help keep this drive in alive for generations to come! read more

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Wonderful contemporary version of the outdoor movie classics. Dark skies; high quality and bright projection. Enjoyed the concessions and appreciated clean restrooms. read more

It was our first and last time we visit. The food was worse than cafeteria food and it was overly priced. Costumer service is lacking in the food court no real organization. Restrooms were very poorly taken care of. The movie stopped for a few minutes due to technical difficulties and they totally fast forward and missed very important parts of the movie. read more

Pretty clean. Staff are nice. Great atmosphere and experience. Follow their Facebook for an updated movie because sometime they'll have last minute change or their website isn't updated. Will come again! read more

EDIT: Went back to the drive in a few nights ago and this time brought a radio along. Made all the difference in the world. Couldn't hear the audio last time but this time it was okay. The atmosphere here is great, the staff is very friendly, and the screen projects a sharp, clear picture. None of the car speakers work, but if you bring a radio along (they simulcast the movie audio on a lower FM channel) then it's fine. ___________________________________________________________________________ We have had great experiences here in years past, but I wish they'd invest in fixing the old car speakers (or updating them). Went to see Deadpool 3 and Twisters on a Tuesday night (July 30). Extremely disappointing. Big fans of the outdoor movie experience but *none* of the speakers-on-poles were working near where we parked (and I don't think at all, anywhere). I asked one of the concession workers and she told me that they were very old and expensive to repair. She said it's best to bring a radio and tune in to the FM frequency to get the movie audio. Didn't have a radio and didn't want to sit in the car on such a beautiful night and wear down the car battery listening to the radio simulcast. I asked if we could get the audio via my phone (which has good speaker volume) but it's not possible. So we sat in our lawn chairs in front of our car (as did most people) and got the audio from nearby radios, which were pretty faint and inaudible. Didn't stick around for Twisters and feel like we need to see Deadpool again as we have no idea what the plot was due to only being able to make out every fifth word. Again, love the drive in and love the fact that the McHenry Outdoor Theater exists, but this was a really bad experience only because of the terrible audio. Picture was great, though (looked hi def) and the staff is friendly. read more

This is an older outdoor but the excitement it can create for families makes this facility the top destination for an evening outdoor. Its twin in Grayslake closed many years ago making this a rate and exciting option. read more

The owner is still having employees and customers wear mask. I was told I needed a mask on and I told them the CDC said if you've been vaccinated you don't need one on. They began to tell me that they are a private business and have the requirements of everyone wearing a mask. Wow... even outside... I guess there are some business owners that don't believe in science or Doctors at the CDC. Will not come back and give them my money. read more

Good old Happy Days experiences for me and my kids. I met the owner 5 years ago as a complete stranger. I was not well but he gave me an ornament of Mickey Mouse with a camera and a movie rheel. It's on our tree today and I really appreciate it. Thanks for your thoughtful touch and your kindness as it has been paid forward in full (over and over). Happy Holidays Scott! read more

McHenry Outdoor Theatre - Ornament from Scott Dean - Drive-In Theater Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Five stars right off because they're the only drive in around. Plus, bring food, or buy food. Traditional movie popcorn and candy, but they also have That's Amore pizza from the Crystal Lake pizzeria that makes authentic New York thin crust pizza. Digital projectors give a great picture, tune in the sound on your radio or go retro with the post speaker at each parking space. Great for a date or even a night out with the family. Gotta go, it a true classic, updated for today's movies. read more

I've been here a few times and each time has been amazing. Even though the theater is a bit far from my house, it's a great experience. They've really kept the drive in old fashioned vibe alive. There's a $12 admission fee for adults and cheaper for any one else. You're welcome to bring your own radio or they have some for sale ($5). You can also just use your car and if your battery dies they'll help you! They have plenty of snacks for sale and lots of places to use the bathroom. Each week their movies change. There's a more kid friendly movie that starts around sunset and then another movie probably around 10 or 11. Overall, I'll totally come again and I recommend this theater to everyone. read more

McHenry Outdoor Theatre - Radio for rent - Drive-In Theater Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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This place is great! One of the last outdoor theaters in the area. Get there before sunset to grab a good spot. When paying for your tickets, they instruct you what poles to park next to (given your vehicle). Feel free to bring in your own food or you can purchase from the concession stand. There is also a grass patch in front of the screen, so bring a ball or frisbee to throw around before the show begins. Dog friendly! read more

It doesn't matter what's on the screen, it's about the family experience. Bundled up in the back of the car with the hatch open, munching on snacks, under a cozy blanket brings you back to a different era. Lawn chairs, bug spray and perhaps even a ball/frisbee for the kids are good to have handy as well. Several summer visits here for families should be on everyone's bucket list. True Nostalgia. 89.9 FM for the sound stream. $12 per Adult & $6 per child for a double feature is unbeatable. read more

I was really disappointed in McHenry Outdoor Theater. They oversold our chow. There were no parking spots left and people had to try and make their own. Also, if you park towards the right side (where we got stuck) you have the glare of a stop light flashing in the corner of your eye. The employees need to do a better job managing customer behaviors. For example, people would park in one spot and then setup all their chairs in the spot next to the car, thus taking up two spots. Also, they did not enforce the rule of SUVs and mini vans parking the third row and back. I was there in my little Subaru and couldn't see over some of the SUVs in the FRONT ROW that pulling in backwards so they could have the hatchback part open as well. That is just inconsiderate and rude. At the other drive-ins I have been to, employees walk around and tell people to move their giant trucks to the back other people to move their chairs to in front of the car. Especially if you are going to over sell a show, you need to make room people! The next issue was the bathroom situation. Even during the movies, there was a giant line to use the bathroom. During intermission, the line went outside and wrapped around... I couldn't even see the end of it. The super annoying part is parents waited in line then called their kids to come back when it was there turn. So here I am thinking I am next to go in and a lady calls her four kids and all the sudden I pushed back again. There were a lot of moms doing this. The floors in the bathroom were all wet and flooded probably from over use. I think they would benefit from not over selling shows and maybe adding another front row. The front row now seems pretty far back again in comparison to the others I have been to. I wanted to leave before the first movie started, but people parked in the exit lane since there was no room and I don't think they would have given us a refund. I was angry and about to have a panic attack trying to maneuver between parked cars, chairs and kids running wild. It was like an accident waiting to happen. McHenry Outdoor Theater is also more expensive than the other Drive-ins I have been to, one of which uses digital projection as well. Why not give them one star? I have only been there once and it was on a holiday weekend. From the sound of the other reviews, this is not the norm. read more

I arrived early enough to get an okay spot but then someone arrived in a large SUV parked backward like they normally do and raised their hatchback all the way up. Now it partially obscured my view while sitting in front of my car in a lawn chair. Since I had some junk and some auto parts still in an unopened box still in my car I thought maybe I could use them to prop up or engineer something so that my lawn chair would be an acceptable height. After a while it looked like I had nothing that would work. Sitting on the hood of my car kind of did, but that would be pretty uncomfortable for a five+ hour double feature. After 20 or 30 minutes of trying different things, I realized I should simply move my car and I chose the spot just to the right of the projection booth. (I didn't want to bother anyone and this was simpler than simply asking someone to lower their hatch which would probably get a chorus of raspberries or worse). New problem. Everyone was squeezing between my passenger side door and the projection booth. This was irritating so I then blocked that route with my mosquito candle which didn't work. Then I moved my seat. Solved. Adjusted my radio that a kid had knocked on the ground earlier and got sucked into the movie. Main distraction was the picture kept blacking out briefly. Not sure what that was about or if that is actually in the movie itself. An hour later I get a tap on my shoulder which startled me badly and I blurted out angrily "Go around !" And as I made the gesture I bumped his face with my hand by accident. Oh, this wasn't a kid or a parent, but a police officer. I was asked to answer questions for 'suspicious activity'. (Which was my constant attempts at removing different objects from my car). I explained that I didn't understand why SUVs and large trucks are in the front row and was simply trying to prop up my chair, when that failed. Duh. Just move your car. A second officer asked for and I gave them my license willingly and thank god the bastards who stole my identity (see Masonic Hospital review) haven't gotten their criminal activity linked to my name (yet). I declared that I was leaving. "You don't have to do that." After I 'checked out' (of course not . I do not have a criminal record) I was free to either stay or go. The police were courteous, professional, and apologetic for the inconvenience. Also it must suck to be them when there are more serious things to patrol than to check up on crap like this. But thanks to that lunatic in Aurora, Colorado 'everyone' is a suspect now. I didn't have to leave but what was I going to do ? Sit there for another three hours ? Seriously ? I felt humiliated and angry. I also missed about 15 minutes of the first movie so I preferred to start over. Probably elsewhere. (obviously?) I folded my lawn chair, picked up my trash, blew out the mosquito candle and put it all in my car. I tried to be sincere but it came out sarcastic and wished the employee standing there "have a nice night" but when he responded with "sorry about that". I lost it. "F*** off". I replied. Other than bothering to come out to this venue again that was my biggest regret. I'm a huge advocate of the drive in/outdoor theater experience to the point where I even bought a small cup of ice for my own soda for $4. Wound up spending 20+ on concessions for myself that night. This helps their bottom line and allows them to continue to operate. I forgot I was the first one to review this business. read more

McHenry Outdoor Theatre - As seen from inside my car before another screen obscuring (raised hatch) SUV arrived. Taken 7/28/2012. - Drive-In Theater Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Why not try to make the viewing experience better for everyone? Darker scenes are hard to see. The projected picture on the screen used to be good, but now it is washed out by the change to SUPER BRIGHT WHITE LIGHTS illuminating the concession building (and the lights shining in from the neighbors). They used to have dimmer orange/yellow lights. Also the silver/red pole distinction is useless because people driving LARGE SUVs park right in front of smaller cars even if it's a silver pole. This is not really enforced. read more

I try to come at least once every few years to see an Outdoor movie. I just love this place - what a throw-back!!! They had won a contest to convert to Digital projection, which was a HUGE upgrade (thus keeping them in business). I was so happy to see this, since this place has been around forever. Anyone with a family, or even just out on a date should come here. The gates open at 6:30 pm, so show up early with the kids and your dog and go have fun until the movies begin. Throw around a ball, or a frisbee or something. There's plenty of space to run around! Movies begin at dark. You can either listen via the pole radio (hang off window) or you can tune in via your car-radio. I also saw something about being able to rent a radio..? but not sure what that's about. The cars are supposed to be organized by size, so in theory the small cars in front, large trucks & SUV's in the back. They've got a concession stand with all the goodies, and a washroom of course. Pricing: - $10 for adults - $5 for kids/Seniors/Military. I think they usually do 2 movies per night. They've also got a Facebook page, and they post what the movies are going to be. They also do throwback movies sometimes, which is fun too. All in all - I definitely recommend a night at the Drive-In. It's about making memories and doing something different. read more

Great experience and handled social distancing well. I recommend getting there by 6:30 for the first showing to get a good spot and then a lot of cars leave after the first movie so you can move your car up. Nice staff. Pretty and clean grounds. read more

I've been here a couple of times and it has always been fun. We usually go in the pickup truck and lie down on blankets, but I've also sat in the cab and both are fun. I was amazed how well the projector works outside, and using the stereo was flawless.. sounded great and was easy to follow along. Its sometimes a challenge to find a movie we like, but the retro movies are always a hit. read more

We had virtually no way to listen to the audio of the movie. We had gotten there plenty early and unfortunately, our radio we brought from home broke an hour before the movie. They were out of rentable radios even an hour before the movie started and every radio next to the cars was broken around us. They said that there was nothing we could do except run our car, which would have definitely killed the battery if run for the next 5 hours of movies. The movie itself played throughout the lot is so quiet that we had no way of listening. We left the movie early. Customer service was lacking and I just wish that there was a pre-warning that every radio was rented already and all of the radios in the lot would be broken before I paid $40. read more

Not sure why they charge the way they do. 12 00 a person is a bit silly. Most remaining outdoors charge by the carload which makes more sense. Just overpriced read more

I know alot of Karen's love to jabber jaw about everything that doesn't go their way, but this place is an excellent venue and I wish we had more like it. read more

Venue is good. Kinda disappointing they can't keep basic items in stock/at the ready (hot cocoa, nacho cheese, defrosted buns), before even the first feature is over. And it's bad for them, as well, as concessions are "how they make their money to keep the place running" according to their website. All in all a cool experience and I'm glad this drive-in still exists but I think they can do better. That said, I do appreciate the staff going around to verify parking compliance and especially making sure hatches are down (it's a rule but it's nice to see it enforced). The number of smokers was a bit much. As other reviewer have mentioned, a designated smoking area would be nice. Yes, it would be like "banning smoking outdoors," but at the same time, it's private property, and they should take some kind of action. read more

If you're looking for a throwback evening this is it!!! So much family fun to be had. Great memories our kids will never forget. It's a special gem we are so lucky to have in this area. Everything about it is classic. It's like you're walking back in time. read more

Poor information dissemination by venue regarding gate opening and concert start. Poor signage. Mixed information regarding availability of concessions. Right hand did not know what the left hand was doing. Kinda ruined what was otherwise a great evening. Thanks Jeff Tweedy. read more

McHenry Outdoor Theatre - Jeff Tweedy performing. - Drive-In Theater Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Let's start with the good--beautiful screen and tons of spots for cars--paired with a very friendly staff and cute gimmicks for new movies. The film watching experience here is very enjoyable. But we recently moved and this visit made us realize how spoiled we were at our previous local drive in when it came to pricing. I don't mind paying $14 per person for a double feature or even paying the $5 extra for a gold spot--what I couldn't believe was the concession pricing. Only one size of popcorn and it's $10 and soda is $8 with no refills. Nachos and pretzels are $7...I am glad they allow you to bring in your own snacks. This is more expensive than our local movie theater. And sadly, the popcorn was chewy and stale tasting. It had been a long time (probably 6 years) since we had been to the McHenry and I remembered the concession area having a lot more memorabilia and charm the last time, along with more affordable prices. Overall, this is a nice drive in theater but sadly the price points will not make this a weekly haunt for us. read more

Good for the movie but I have to emphasize not to get food here, food is absolutely terrible. We got charged $8 for a burger that you get at a concession stand worth $1. Then asked for a water cup and they gave us water that tasted like pure lead, would 100% recommend eating before and bringing your own drinks. They are just price gouging to stay open. read more

Great experience. Nothing fancy. You will find potholes on the entrance driveway. Concessions are worn down, and you will note many repair needs here and there. But all in all with a ticket price of $12 and the potential to stay for both movies, This a great time. Tune in to your radio to hear the movies. Must try read more

We went once with our family and had a great time. The perfect old school ambiance but with a modern day feel! The parking spots fill very quickly towards the front so you need to make sure an arrive a good hour before the movie is suppose to start to get a good spot! The speakers work decent if you get to a good pole but some don't have a speaker at all so choose your parking spot wisely. The reason I only give it 3 stars is because the employees don't do a good enough job enforcing the hatchback rules and the larger vehicle rules. We got blocked completely by a monster truck with obnoxious wheels and the group was loud the whole movie so it really disrupted our time. They do a good job on movie choices but could always be better- should always try to have a kid friendly movie! The concession is very basic food and all microwaved so be cautious. The bathrooms were flooded will puddles of water and was quite disgusting. But overall it's a great place to take a family and spend some time! read more

Such a classic and a staple for Mchenry! I have been going here since I was a kid and it is always such a fun experience with friends and family! Such a good asset to the community and definitely worth a visit. read more

The McHenry Outdoor Theater will be converting from 35 mm film to digital projection after winning an online contest. This nostalgic gem is here to stay! read more

We were just here for the first time and loved it. Such a fun activity especially during the pandemic. We arrived 2 hours early because of recommendations on Facebook, but it didn't seem necessary to arrive that early, maybe because we went on a weekday. They have a variety of food at their concession stand and clean bathrooms. I love this place and looking forward to going again! read more

Awful experience. Thought it would be a great experience to take the kids to their first drive-in movie. There are not many options near where we live, really anywhere in the Chicago area. Drove 40 minutes out to McHenry. Literally FIVE minutes after they happily took my $28 to see Brave, they announced the theater was closing due to some water problem. They mentioned something about the health department requires them to shutdown if they do not have water service. Look, I guess these things happen, and this is just bad luck, however they did NOT refund our money. They provided tickets to a future show where we could get in. Well, I guess that's ok, if you live 5 minutes away, but it was a 30 mile drive for us and they took our $$$ when they clearly knew there was a problem. I tried to explain our case to the 'manager', who I'm guessing was maybe 21 years old. He indicated no refunds in any circumstances. So to summarize: almost 90 minutes of driving, $28 to park my car in a movie lot, NO movie, NO refund of my $. Oh yeah and a lovely drive with my screaming 6 year old not understanding why the movie wasn't playing. Advice to owners. I'm assuming the 18 -21 year old kids are not the ones who made the decision to close the theater. If you decide to close your theater down after collecting thousands of $ from your customers, show your face and be visible to your customers. As a side note, when I asked the manager how would we know if the theater is working in case I'm stupid enough to make the trip again, he said they'd update their Facebook page. Facebook really? How about your phone number. I just called it and there is no reference as of this moment that the theater is shut down. Buyer beware. I've checked and there are drive in theaters in Kenosha and West Chicago. My advice is if you don't live close to McHenry, give those theaters a chance. I'm assuming they care a little more about their customers. read more