Weekly Roundup Ep. 5: Hayrides, Mint Cookies, Motel Garages & Dracula
This week’s Weekly Roundup travels from autumn hayrides and a prize-winning mint cookie to old motel garages and Horror of Dracula at the Terror Glow Drive-In.
Monsters in the Parking Lot: The Strange Era of Drive-In Spook Shows
For a while, drive-in theaters did more than show horror movies. Spook shows brought skeletons, stunts, all-night monster marathons, and sometimes costumed creatures roaming between the cars. Here’s how these…
Did 1950s Drive-In Restaurant Carhops Really Wear Roller Skates?
Did 1950s drive-in restaurant carhops really wear roller skates? Yes—but not everywhere. Here’s why some restaurants put servers on wheels, why the image became so iconic, and what eventually happened…
How Did Drive-In Movie Speakers Work? The Little Box on Your Car Window
Remember the little metal speakers that hung from drive-in movie windows? Here’s how the wired system worked, why some speakers sounded terrible, and how FM radio eventually replaced them.
What Was That Hose Across Old Gas Station Driveways? The “Ding-Ding” Bell Explained
Remember the black hose stretched across old gas station driveways? It wasn’t for air—it triggered the familiar “ding-ding” that told an attendant a customer had arrived. Here’s how the simple…