Butte · See

Silver Bow Drive-In

Still Old School

Two-screen drive-in off I-15 west of Butte, open since April 1977 and still opening each May with first-run double choices and an FM soundtrack.

At a glance

Movie theater in Butte, Montana, established 1977. Open seasonally. Check with them for this year's dates.

Status
Seasonal
Address
119024 German Gulch Rd., Butte, MT, 59750
Town
Butte
Established
1977
Why it's still old school
Five miles an hour, an FM radio, a snack bar built from an older Deer Lodge drive-in, and two screens since 1980.
Page updated

The Silver Bow Drive-In opened April 15, 1977, with Hustle and The Longest Yard, according to Cinema Treasures. A second screen went up on July 16, 1980. The theater’s former website, quoted on Cinema Treasures, said it had been family owned and operated by the Hansens since 1977, that the 1980 screen made it the first twin drive-in in Montana, and that the concession stand and projection booth came from a drive-in near Deer Lodge that ran from 1949 to 1973.

It opened its 2025 season the first weekend in May. KMBR’s guide covers the house rules: 5 mph on the lot, admission good for one side only, a small fee for a cooler permit, pets in the vehicle, and bring an FM radio for the sound.

Get there early on a summer weekend. If you’re nearby, stop in and keep them busy.

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