Hull's Drive In facts for kids
Hull's Drive-In, September 2002
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| Former names | Lee Drive-In |
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| Address | 2367 N. Lee Highway Lexington, Virginia |
| Location |  United States |
| Coordinates | 37°49′45″N 79°22′57″W / 37.829085°N 79.382471°W |
| Owner | Hull’s Angels, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) membership organization) |
| Type | Not-for-profit drive-in theatre |
| Opened | August 6, 1950 |
Hull's Drive In is a special outdoor movie theater in Lexington, Virginia. It has space for 319 cars. It's one of only seven drive-in theaters still open in Virginia. What makes Hull's extra special is that it's one of just two non-profit drive-ins in the entire United States. This means it's run to benefit the community, not just to make money. You can watch new, family-friendly movies there every weekend from March to October.
A Look Back: Hull's Drive-In History
The theater first opened its doors on August 6, 1950. Back then, it was called the Lee Drive-In. Mr. Waddey C. Watkins from Roanoke was its first owner.
In August 1957, Mr. Sebert Hull took over the theater. He was from Buena Vista. Mr. and Mrs. Hull then ran the drive-in for the next forty years. They changed its name to Hull's Drive-In.
When Mr. Hull passed away before the 1998 movie season, Mrs. Hull sold the business. Mr. W.D. Goad, who owned an auto body shop nearby, bought it. Movie fans were very happy that Mr. Goad kept the drive-in open that summer. He ran it just like Mr. Hull had for many years.
Saving the Drive-In: Hull's Angels
The next year, in 1999, Mr. Goad faced a problem. The theater needed expensive technical upgrades. Because of the high cost, he decided not to open the theater that summer. The big screen stayed dark while Mr. Goad looked for someone to buy it. He hoped a new owner could pay for the upgrades and run the business.
Help arrived from a local group called Hull's Angels. This group was formed to save Hull's Drive-In Theatre. During that dark summer of 1999, they decided to try and buy the business themselves. They officially became a non-profit organization.
By the spring of 2000, Hull's Angels signed a lease. This lease gave them the option to buy the drive-in within two years. They started a fundraising campaign to collect $75,000. By July, they had raised enough money from about six hundred people. This allowed them to make the needed repairs and upgrades. The theater reopened for the rest of that summer.
The year 2000 was Hull's first full summer season after being saved. In 2010, the drive-in celebrated its tenth year as a non-profit theater. On July 30, 2014, TripAdvisor.com recognized Hull's Drive-In. It was voted the #7 top drive-in in the country based on reviews.
See also
- List of drive-in theaters
