GUTHRIE, Okla. -One of Oklahoma’s longest-running drive-in theaters is turning off its projector after more than seven decades, and a credit union will be taking over the site.
The Beacon Drive-In Theater opened in 1950 and was owned and operated by three generations of the Powell family for nearly 76 years. Its first showing was Ramrod, and its final movie, Reagan, screened in September 2024. Over the decades, families packed the lot that can hold about 328 cars, to watch some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters beneath the stars, according to News9.
“It’s been my livelihood, each season for 44 years,” Marsh Powell, now in his 60s, who spent much of his life running the theater, told the news station. “It’s been really hard to turn it loose. But it’s time.”
Not an Easy Decision
Powell said the decision to sell was not easy, but age and declining attendance ultimately led the family to close the iconic theater.
Powell recalled the 1996 blockbuster Twister holds a special place in the Beacon’s history. Props from the drive-in were even featured in the film.
“It was real fun, hanging out with Paxton and Helen Hunt,” Powell told News9. “Bill Paxton was really impressed when he drove by, we were showing Apollo 13 during that time and he saw his name on the marquee and said he never saw his name on a marquee.”
The property was sold for $2.2 million to Oklahoma City-based Communication Federal Credit Union, which wants to build a branch along with additional retail development.
‘So Many Memories’
“We know that there were so many memories made here, and we want to honor that legacy as we move forward,” CFCU President and CEO Stephen Lark told News 9. “We’re looking at ways we can incorporate some of the design elements.”
The development may also keep “Beacon” in its name, with possibilities such as Beacon Hill or Beacon Village, a nod to the area’s historic identity as Hilltop, according to the report.
