Outdoor Movie Theatres and Festivals in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia

I remember the first movie I watched at a drive-in movie theatre, The Ghostbusters. I was about 4 years old at the time when my Dad and I watched from inside the car. He hated the regular movie theatre because the other people can definitely ruin the entire movie sometimes with their loud talking. My dad used to have a fit when someone had to go to the bathroom 2 or 3 times while the movie was going on. So the drive-in theatre was much better and more relaxing. All you had to do is pull up, find a spot, turn the radio on to hear the sound, and relax.

Today, Drive-In movie theatres are extinct and we are all force to go the over priced theatres with bad sound, seating, and customer service. Take your family to the movies and your entire paycheck is gone. That is insane. There are not many drive-in movie theatres around, but the ones that still exist are good quality and still enjoyable for the entire family. In the Washington DC area, most of the drive-in or outdoor theatres are festivals that last for a limited time.

Here is a listing of the Theatres in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia:

Bengies Drive-In Theatre
3417 Eastern Boulevard
Baltimore, MD
410-687-5627

The Bengies Drive-In Theatre was built in 1956 and has the largest movie screen on the entire east coast; measuring 52 feet high and 120 feet wide. Every Friday and Saturday, the Bengies Drive-In plays triple features. A car radio is necessary to hear the movie.
Like any other theatre, The Bengies Drive-In Theatre has a concession stand that serves the traditional popcorn, soda, hotdogs, and candy. Admission prices range from $4-7 based on show times. Children 10 years old and younger are free.
For more information, visit http://www.bengies.com/home.asp.

Comcast Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore
10701 Rockville Pike
North Bethesda, MD

From August 11th until August 20th, the Comcast Outdoor Film Festival at Strathmore popular movies that are family friendly and enjoyable for all ages. The festival is free and metro accessible. The gates open at 6:30 and the movies begins approximately at 8:30pm every night.
http://www.strathmore.org/

Here is the 2006 Movie Schedule

Friday, Aug. 11: “King Kong”
Saturday, Aug. 12: “Madagascar”
Sunday, Aug. 13: “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”
Monday, Aug. 14: “Curious George”
Tuesday, Aug. 15: “The Maltese Falcon”
Wednesday, Aug. 16: “Batman Begins”
Thursday, Aug. 17: “Walk the Line”
Friday, Aug. 18: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”
Saturday, Aug. 19: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”
Sunday, Aug. 20: “The Princess Bride”

Movies under the Moon
Van Dyck Park
3500 Old Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA
703-378-8422

For five straight days, Van Dyck Park will host the “Movies under the Moon” Festival in Fairfax Virginia. The Movies under the Moon festival shows a mixture of old classic and new popular movies that are family friendly. The parking and the event are free, making the Movies under the Moon festival a good one.
Schedule:

June 23: “Madagascar” (2005)
June 24: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” (2005)
June 25: “The Princess Bride” (1987)
June 26: “Hitch” (2005)
June 27: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981)

Screen on the Green
The National Mall
Washington, DC
877-262-5866

The Annual Screen on the Green Festival is another free event that comes to the National Mall during mid summer. The Screen on the Green Festival shows classic movies for the authentic movie goers in the region. Show times for all movies begin between 8:30 and 9:00.

The schedule is:

July 17: “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951)
July 24: “The Band Wagon” (1953)
July 31: “Bullitt” (1968)
Aug. 7: “To Have and Have Not” (1944)
Aug. 17: “Rocky” (1976)