Couple plans to reopen shuttered Indiana drive-in theater

WINCHESTER, Ind. (AP) – A couple is buying and plans to renovate a shuttered drive-in movie theater in eastern Indiana.

Pauletta and Shawn Hummel are buying the Airline Twin Drive-In, which has been across from the Randolph County Airport east of Winchester for decades. It closed in late 2014.

Pauletta Hummel told The (Muncie) Star Press that the sale is pending. She said the two-screen theater is “a staple of our community” and could reopen by the end of the summer.

“We really want to bring it back to what it was before,” she said.

The drive-in was “something worth investing in,” Hummel said. She declined to say how much they were paying for the land and its amenities, but said it was a significant investment. The couple plans to operate the drive-in themselves and may hire high school students as part-time employees.

An overhaul of the site is in order, including on the run-down concession stand near the west screen, and the couple also hopes to improve a playground area. Pauletta Hummel said just one screen will reopen at first, with plans to use the second screen as business increases.

The couple also plans to hold other events at the drive-in and will be looking for input from customers.

“We could host car shows in the field, or other events,” she said. “We are open to new and different ideas. We want this to be a fun, engaging place.”

The Hummels are expected to close on the drive-in by the end of the month.