ORLEFIELD, Pa. (AP) – With big screen-worthy romance and adventure, a Pennsylvania couple keeps their past and builds their future as owners of the world’s oldest driving drive-in cinema.
Lauren McChesney got more than entering the dual feature when he handed out the ticket to Matt McClanahan at another drive-in he managed in 2018. They started dating a year later and got engaged in August. Meanwhile, they purchased Shankweiler’s drive-in theater. It was the first drive-in in Pennsylvania and the only country to open in 1934.
On Friday, August 29, 2025, the sun sets at Shanquawiler’s drive-in as the car arrives at the evening double feature of “Jaws” and “Twister” in Olefield, Pennsylvania.
The couple began brainstorming about the drive-in during a cross-country road trip, including stops at both operational theatres and abandoned theatres. Their original goal was to open a new drive-in, but when they learned that Shanquawiller could be sold to developers, “the bulb went out,” McClanahan said.
“Why are you spending so much time when there’s literally one from our home like the most important drive-in for sale?” he said.
According to the United Drive-In Theater Owners Association, the drive-in cinema industry began in 1933 in Camden, New Jersey, and peaked in the late 1950s with drive-in with over 4,000 people. It fell rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s, due to the increased number of other entertainment options. It also made sales attractive for redevelopment. According to the association, it was popular by 2024 during the pandemic, but only 283 remained.
Growing up at Shankweiler’s, 35-year-old McClanahan managed another drive-in during the coronavirus pandemic and started a mobile movie business. In contrast, 41-year-old McChesney never drives in until 2018, and she quit her job at a stable company in the healthcare industry to take on this new venture. Buying a Shankweiler was a risk for both. He pooled his savings to buy a drive-in in 2022, securing a $1 million loan, but it says he’s paid off.
Sunset at Shanquawiller Drive-In, Friday, August 29, 2025, as previews run before the feature film “Jaws” in Olefield, Pennsylvania.
“It was an enterprise that was a bigger jump and boundary in terms of investment, monthly expenses and debt than I ever did in my life,” McClanahan said. “When I think about it, it still feels surreal.”
They built a successful business with the help of strong summer attendees, occasional famous films like “Wicked,” and special events like “The Notebook” Valentine’s Day “Date Night.” Drive-in is the rest of the year, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, seven days a week, Thursday to Sunday. Tickets cost $9 for children and $13 for adults.
“Jaws” were bundled in front of the car at the Center, Center in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, Shanquawiller Drive-In in Olefield, Pennsylvania, on Friday, August 29, 2025.
Ken Queerio, 52, of Katztown, Pennsylvania, became Shanquawiler’s since he was a teenager. He recently insisted on looking for the owner before looking at the “chin.”
“I actually thanked them,” he said. “Old school, it’s great to still have an old venue like this.”
Wilson Shanquawiller, a well-known hotel owner and film fan, opened what was known as Shanquawiller’s Park In Theater on April 15, 1934.
Watching the film “Jaws” at Shanquawiller Drive-In in Olefield, Pennsylvania on Friday, August 29th, 2025 (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
McChesney said business success played a role in the timing of their engagement.
“We knew we would eventually get married, but instead we continued to do other things, starting a business or buying a cinema,” she said.
Mason Butz prepares a bag of popcorn at Shanquawiller Drive-In refresh stand on Friday, August 29, 2025, before the evening double feature of “Jaws” and “Twister” in Olefield, Pennsylvania.
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Lamar contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.
