The first drive-in theater opened in Camden, New Jersey, in 1933. For less than a dollar, the whole family could enjoy a B Hollywood movie from the comfort of their own car.
At the height of their popularity in the 1950s, there were almost 5,000 drive-ins across the US. Today there are just over 300 of them, which has left a lot of drive-in graveyards around the country.
For photographer Lindsey Rickert, drive-in theaters were a staple of childhood.
"There was something so special about the experience [of the drive-in]," she recently told Business Insider. In 2014, she ventured across the country for 65 days to document as many drive-in theaters — either in working order or abandoned — that she could find.
Ahead, see 10 of the most haunting images she took of those that have been left behind.
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"Drive-in theaters were a staple in my childhood," Rickert said. "Playing tag under the big screen, eating way too much popcorn, and falling asleep midway through the double feature in a pile of blankets."
Rickert noted the entertainment that drive-ins could provide for families with younger children. "At a traditional theatre, taking the kids could be a difficult task ... But the drive-in catered to bringing the whole family," she said. "Kids could play on playgrounds often found under the screen while parents enjoyed a date night without having to pay a sitter."
The death of the drive-in came as real estate prices rose in the suburbs, walk-in theaters were built, and video rentals rose in popularity. Rickert noticed the change back then too. "As I got older, the surrounding drive-in theaters started to go dark and this American icon slipped my mind," she said.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider