In the face of a global pandemic, many theaters and cinemas have closed. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t still go and enjoy a movie out of the house, though. Drive-in movies, a staple of the American entertainment industry since the 1950s, are a great way to get out while staying safe. However, according to the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association, there are currently only 305 theater locations in the US. In 2014, there were 393 theater locations. The number of drive-in theaters has already been declining, and even with this short spike of business, there won’t be enough customers to keep them open.

Although schools are reopening and more people are getting vaccinated, COVID-19 will still be around for the considerable future. Drive-in theaters and attractions are fairly popular now, but I believe that as lockdowns are lifted, they will lose their popularity. During lockdown, seeing as many regular attractions have had to close down, a lot of drive-through events have provided  fun experiences. On Halloween last year, there were multiple drive-through attractions for kids who couldn’t go trick-or-treating, and Christmas light displays were extremely popular.

These activities are all wonderful in the country’s current state, but they aren’t going to be able to stay open as the pandemic comes to an end and more people get vaccinated. Especially when things start re-opening, people will want to go to other places that they haven’t been able to go to for over a year. For now, drive-in theaters are a wonderful alternative to regular cinemas, because people can stay safe and have a fun time outside of their houses, but they won’t be able to keep the special quality of an experience mixed with safety when people no longer have to social distance.