Pull up your car, flip on the radio, and prepare to get transported back to the days of yesteryear – at one of the many excellent drive-in movie theaters near Minneapolis!
A trip to the “Drive-Ins” is a fun and quirky activity that makes for a fantastic date night, a unique family outing, or just a wonderful change of pace.
At the peak of America’s drive-in movie theater craze during the 1950s, Minnesota sported over 80 different drive-in movie theaters. Today, that number’s been whittled down to less than 10.
Fortunately for us, two of those remaining drive-in movie theaters sit right next to Minneapolis. And for those willing to drive… to the drive-in… there’s a handful of other great options too.
Today’s article breaks down all your options for drive-in theaters near the Twin Cities.
Map of Drive-In Theaters near Minneapolis & St. Paul
1. Elko Drive-In (35 minutes from Minneapolis)
Opened in 2014, Elko Drive-In is Minnesota’s newest drive-n movie theater. Located in New Market, Minnesota, Elko is an easy drive south on 35W. From downtown Minneapolis to the movie screen takes about 35 minutes.
The Elko Drive-in is located in the Elko Race Track, home of destruction derbies and NASCAR races. The interesting part about that? On race nights, movies start 15-20 minutes after the final race. For non-race nights, movies start after sunset and cost about $10. (Kids’ tickets are just $5 and children under 3 are free.)
Elko’s Drive-In plays the latest kid-friendly blockbusters. For the grill masters, Elko is also unique in allowing tailgating and BBQs at their drive-in theater.
- Website: https://www.elkospeedway.com/drivein/
- Address: 26350 France Ave, Elko New Market, MN 55020
2. Starlite Drive-In Theater (1 hour 20 minutes from Minneapolis)
Starlight Drive-In Theater first opened in 1955 in Wadena, MN. Since then, the theater’s had an on and off operation. It closed from 1981 to 1997, before opening in 1998 to a wonderful restoration and expansion.
The Drive-In is now located in Litchfield, MN, a little over an hour from Minneapolis. They operate two screens seasonally – each of those screens shows a double feature, meaning your ticket allows you to watch 2 movies in a row. (Note that switching screens is prohibited, so make sure you pick your preferred package!)
Bonus points to this drive-in theater for allowing pets.
- Website: http://www.starlitemovies.com/home.html
- Address: 28264 MN-22, Litchfield, MN 55355
3. Long Drive-In Theatre (2 hours from Minneapolis)
Looking for a road trip AND a movie?
Long Drive-In Theatre is located in Long Prairie, Minnesota, which is just over 2 hours northwest of the Twin Cities.
Why is that noteworthy? Long Drive-In is the only drive-in theater near Minneapolis that allows camping!
Yep, Long Drive-In now features tent and RV camping on the grounds. This makes for a pretty cool getaway idea. Make the drive from the cities, watch movies until late at night, and then once the show is over, crash for a night under the stars!
This single screen theater plays seasonally. Your ticket purchase includes a double feature – two movies for the price of one.
Note that outside food is not allowed, but they do have a full-service fast food restaurant complete with candy and snacks.
- Website: http://www.thelongdrivein.com/
- Address: 24257 Riverside Dr, Long Prairie, MN 56347
Closed (but hopefully reopening one day?)
4. Vali-Hi Drive-In (25 minutes from Minneapolis)
At least for now, Vali-Hi appears to be closed permanently. Rumor had it the land was sold, but several years ago, the city told Kare that’s not true, and Vali-Hi hasn’t made any official announcements. Either way, the gates remain closed and the owner has stopped responding to media. š
Opened in 1966, Vali-Hi Drive-in was a seasonally operated, vehicle friendly movie theater located just 25 minutes east of downtown Minneapolis. (And barely 10 minutes east of St. Paul!)
Vali-Hi featured one large screen and room for up to 800 cars in its big ol’ drive-in lot. From there, guests tuned into 90.1 FM to hear the show right through their car’s speakers! (A portable radio worked, too.)
Vali-Hi also included a concession stand stocked with fresh, hot popcorn and all sorts of candy and snacks. There was even a vintage arcade for the kids. (And the kids at heart…)
One of the coolest parts of Vali-Hi? Your $10 ticket bought you not one, not two, but THREE movies a night.
- Website: http://www.valihi.com/
- Address: 11260 Hudson Blvd, Lake Elmo, MN 55042
5. Stardust Drive-In (1 hour, 45 minutes from Minneapolis)
Stardust Drive-in is actually located in Wisconsin, but it’s still closer to the Twin Cities than many of Minnesota’s drive-ins.
Stardust opened in 2007 with a single screen and added a second screen in 2011.
Historically, the theater operated seasonally. One cool thing about that setup? They usually offered family-friendly movies on one screen and rated R-rated movies on the second screen. That made Stardust one of the only options for people wanting to watch the scary and gory stuff.
Like most drive-in theaters, they prohibited outside food and beverages, but that was no problem. They had a reasonably priced snack bar complete with popcorn, BBQ ribs, brats, funnel cakes, pizza, candy, and tons more concessions. And they were dog-friendly!
Sadly, the owner reported in 2025 that he was diagnosed with cancer and would be temporarily closing the theater. They created a GoFundMe page to cover operating costs and are optimistic they will be able to open next season. Support them if you can!
- Website: http://www.stardustdriveinmovie.com
- Address: 995 22nd St, Chetek, WI 54728
