Starlite 14

Richland Center

 

Richland Center is the site of a small but very nice Drive-in theater. The Starlite 14 is on the south side of the town and is directly across the street from a Wal-Mart. The view in the opposite direction is open fields and rolling hills, very nice in early fall. I had the opportunity to speak with the owner of this drive-in. He said that his business keeps improving every year. You have a choice of either using your car stereo for sound, or you can use the classic speakers! The car ramps are all grass and are well kept. The original ticket booth is nothing but foundations and posts, but the new ticket booth is at the end of the fence. The movies that I saw at this theater were "There's Something About Mary" and "Baseketball". The Starlite 14 is very much worth visiting, and so is the area that it is in. Motels and camping are available in the area for those who whish to make a weekend of it.

Originally opened as the Hi-Way 14 Outdoor Theater on May 16, 1952

The Starlite 14 now sells T-shirts!

September 5, 1999: Made a return visit to the Starlite 14. The movies for the evening were "Inspector Gadget" and "Wild Wild West". The weather was great and there was a good crowd.

September 9, 2000: Beautiful moonlit night and the movies were "Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps" and "What Lies Beneath"

September 2, 2001: Beautiful weather and a good crowd for "Jurassic Park 3" and "Rush Hour 2"

August 31, 2002: Nice evening for movie watching and the shows for the evening were "Lilo and Stitch" and "Signs".

September 5, 2003:  Really nice weather, no mosquitoes, and the moon was out.  Features were "American Wedding" and "Freddy VS. Jason".

September 3, 2004:  Nice night, if a bit damp.  Features for the night were “Catwoman” and “Aliens VS Predator”.

September 2, 2005:  Great night, but a bit short.  Only one of the two features were on hand for viewing that night.  Just watched “Dukes of Hazzard” since the film for “March of the Penguins” didn’t make it on time for the showing.  Got in for ½ price, though!

  

The marquis next to the highway

 

Projection building/concession stand and the screen

 

Speakers are still available for use for the nostalgia buffs!

 

Backside of the screen

 

Grand opening ad from May 15, 1952 newspaper

 

How to find the Starlite 14 Drive-in

 

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