The Motor Vu Drive-In, the Gem State’s first and oldest drive-in movie theater, officially reopened for the summer season Friday with a double feature playing on Idaho’s largest movie screen.

The Motor Vu kicked off Memorial Day weekend with a screening of “The Mandalorian and Grogu” followed by “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” projected on what the theater bills as the biggest operating outdoor movie screen in the country, measuring more than 6,400 square feet. Gates opened at 8 p.m. with movies beginning around 9:25 p.m.

The theater is located at 2095 N. Yellowstone Hwy. in Idaho Falls.

Although the Motor Vu closed briefly in the early 2000s, Linda and Ryan Rumsey — who had been neighbors of the drive-in since 1966 — purchased the historic theater in 2019 to protect it from being torn down.

“Drive-ins are special and nostalgic,” Linda said of their decision. “It is something I grew up enjoying. Ryan and I had one of our first dates at this theater. We wanted to preserve the drive-in experience for future generations to enjoy.”

The Rumseys have continued investing in the property during the offseason.

“We work every offseason to improve the facilities and make the drive-in experience even better than you remember,” Linda said. “Our mission is to bring our community together through the magic of movies. We love having people at Idaho’s first drive-in for films under the stars.”

Built in 1947 and celebrating its 79th anniversary this year, the Motor Vu is one of just four remaining drive-in theaters in the state and one of fewer than 275 in the entire country.

Drive-in theaters numbered more than 4,000 in the United States at the height of their popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. By the late 1980s, more than 75 percent had closed. The shift from 35mm film to digital projection in the 2000s dealt another blow, forcing surviving theaters to make costly equipment upgrades that many couldn’t afford.

The Motor Vu survived all of it. Equipped with a state-of-the-art 4K RGB laser projector, recently renovated bathrooms, an enhanced concessions menu and high-quality FM sound, the theater shows new movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through the end of August.

“It is a miracle drive-ins are still around at all,” Linda said. “It is thanks to the Idaho Falls community that we are still standing. They have supported the Motor Vu, cheered us on and showed up.”

“We are grateful to everyone in Idaho Falls and Southeast Idaho who have been champions of the Motor Vu,” added Brett Harris, co-director of the Motor Vu.

Tickets are $8.50 for adults, $4.50 for children ages 4–12 (children 3 and under are admitted free) and $6.50 for senior citizens, veterans, active-duty military and first responders.

For more information, visit idahomotorvu.com.