Home > New York Drive-ins by Region > Lake Ontario Region > Monroe County Drive-ins > Central Drive-in

Central Drive-in
Status: Demolished
Location: 1700 Long Pond Rd, Rochester, NY 14606
Screens: 1
Capacity: 850 cars
Original owner: Built by E. Graden Hodges, Elmer H. Ellis, and William Tishkoff.
Opening date: August 1, 1946
Final season: 1982
What's there now: The Ingress townhouse complex, office building, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

This page was last updated on November 8, 2023.

The Central held 1400 cars and had a concave screen according to a former owner, and was located at 1700 Long Pond Road between Ridgeway Avenue and Lyell Avenue. It was designed by a well known architect and boasted one of the largest screens in the world (62'x45'), as well as a huge fountain on the marquee side of the screen, and a dance hall built into the screen tower.

The grand opening took place on August 1st, 1946, making it Rochester's second drive-in theater. It's first show was "Cover Girl" starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Owned and operated by E. Graden, Elmer H. Ellis, and Wm. Tishkoff at an initial cost of $130,000.

The Central closed at the end of the 1982 season, and its land now contains a large complex of townhouses.

-- Courtesy of Travis Beaver

 

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Topo Map from 1995, courtesy of TerraServer USA. Aerial image from 1951, courtesy of the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District. Aerial image from 2006, courtesy of Google Earth. Aerial close-up image from 2006, courtesy of Google Earth.
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New drive-in proposed article from the Greece Press on September 8, 1944. Grand opening article from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle on August 1, 1946. Grand opening article from the Greece Press on August 1, 1946. Grand opening ad from the Greece Press on August 1, 1946.
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Central Drive-in article from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble. Central Drive-in Reference Credits from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble. Central Drive-in entrance from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble. Central Drive-in screen tower from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble.
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Central Drive-in screen tower from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble. Central Drive-in parking lot from the 1946-1947 edition Theatre Catalog, courtesy of James Goble. Central Drive-in screen from late 1950s or 1960s, courtesy of Paul E. Kuntz, Jr., former Central Drive-in projectionist. Central Drive-in screen from late 1950s or 1960s, courtesy of Paul E. Kuntz, Jr., former Central Drive-in projectionist.
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Central Drive-in matchbook front cover, courtesy of Travis Beaver. Central Drive-in matchbook back cover, courtesy of Travis Beaver. Central Drive-in matchbook inside cover, courtesy of Travis Beaver. Office building at site of former Central Drive-in from 2007, courtesy of Rick Cohen.

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Share your memories

I was born in '56 so our family hit just about every drive-in in the Buffalo area. Sometimes the concession-stand commercials were better than the movies. Last went to a drive-in (Buffalo Drive-In) in 1991. Most memorable: seeing The Beatles' "Hard Day's Night" while it was raining! Nobody left!
#1 - John Bisci Jr. - 07/26/2023 - 17:29
I remember waiting in line all the way down longpond road to get into the drive-in. Today my dentist's office sits on the location where we had so many fun nights!
#2 - Laurie DeBole- Camman - 07/29/2023 - 04:01
Best times of my life was at the drive-in!!
#3 - Jess - 07/29/2023 - 06:21
When I was 10, I could look out my bathroom window on Mercer Ave. and watch the Drive-In, I watched John Wayne's Chisolm and a couple years later the last tango and paris.....
#4 - Wyatt Kelly - 04/30/2014 - 09:09
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