Buffalonians Miss This Cheektowaga Drive-In

This week I had a doctor appointment in Cheektowaga. It was the giant office off Harlem Road, near where the Ja-Fa-Fa Hots and The Owl Lounge used to be (ah the memories).

I couldn't help but think to myself as I pulled in that this huge office and medical building used to be the site of a beloved drive-in for Buffalonians.

I have vague memories of the place but I remember my older sister taking me to the Buffalo Drive-In when I was a little kid.

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It was located in Cheektowaga off Harlem Road. I think I went there in 2000? 2001? Right around there.

Believe it or not, the drive-in lasted until 2007, which was news to me. For whatever reason, I thought it was torn down before that.

The drive-in opened in 1948 and was a place that parents and grandparents took their kids and grandkids. It was located in a spot that is considered one of the hearts of Buffalo -- Cheektowaga near the 33 and a short drive away from the City of Buffalo.

The first movie ever shown at the Buffalo Drive-In? That would be Disney's "Song of the South," which was shown on the theater's only screen back then. It grew since then but met its demise in the mid-2000s.

My sister used to live in the neighborhood behind the theater. I remember stories of kids hopping the fence to try and avoid a fee, but I wonder how they listed to the movie?

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