Thursday, March 9, 2023

Hilltop Drive-In Movie Theater, 1800 Maple Road, US 6 (Old Rte 66), Joliet, Illinois. (1955-2001)



Hill-Top opened in 1955. This popular 1950s vintage drive-in, with a large, single screen and capacity for 623 cars, suddenly closed in the middle of the 2001 season. It has remained abandoned, falling victim to vandals and disrepair. 

On August 10, 2020, a straight-line wind storm knocked over about 80% of the drive-in's brick screen. Hill-Top was razed later in 2020.
Hilltop Drive-In Entrance.


sidebar
In 1940, Route 66 was realigned to pass through Plainfield and bypass Joliet. Multiple additional alignments were done over the subsequent years while building the Interstate at the time called the freeway, in accordance with a 1943 bill.



The movie reel projection booth.
Car speaker pole.
 
Projection booth equipment.
Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D.

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