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Health & Fitness

THE UNION CITY DRIVE-IN

For 32 years, the Union City Drive-In, located near Whipple Road and Interstate 880, was a familiar sight.  To most residents, it was a landmark.

The Union City Drive-In was a source of pride for Union City when the curtain first rose in 1966.  Its six screens were more than any other nearby theater had and its huge, red and white marquee served as a massive welcome sign to moviegoers and everyone driving by.

People remember the drive-in; when they were kids, teenagers and bringing their families.  Teenagers stayed at the drive-in for hours partying from dusk to dawn watching horror movies and triple features. 

Loren Pinto, a Union City native and almost all of his family, worked at the drive in over the past three decades.

In March 1998, after 32 years, the drive-in closed.  The event was marked by a farewell gala billed as "The Last Picture Show," showing classics including the 1957 movie "I was a Teenage Frankenstein."

A mix of high land prices and commercialization forced the Union City Drive-In to close.  Closing the Union city Drive- In was the end of an American dream, watching a movie in a car under the stars.  In Union City, it is now history.

Now, travelling by Interstate 880 to Alvarado-Niles Road, the Century Theater has replaced the Union City Drive-In.  It is the largest theater complex in Northern California boasting 25 movie screens, stadium seating and digital sound.  The new theater is the centerpiece of Union Landing, a 104-acre shopping center that includes Lucky supermarket, plush restaurants and boutiques.

The Union Cuity Drive-In is now just a memory, a very beautiful memory.

Historian's Note:  Visit the Union City Historical Museum to view some of the artifacts and pictures of the Union City Drive-In.






 





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