A Pennsylvania couple who fell for each other at a drive-in movie theater have bought Shankweiler’s Drive-In Theatre, which opened in 1934 and is believed to be the world’s oldest continuously operating drive-in.
Lauren McChesney and Matt McClanahan said their relationship began when McChesney handed a ticket to McClanahan at a drive-in he managed in 2018. They began dating a year later, took a cross-country road trip that included stops at operational and abandoned drive-ins, and in recent months decided to buy Shankweiler’s after learning it might be sold to developers. The couple became engaged in August.
Shankweiler’s, in Orefield, Pennsylvania, was the state’s first drive-in and only the nation’s second when it opened in 1934. McClanahan said the idea to preserve the theater came during the couple’s road trip and that they initially had planned to open a new drive-in from scratch. “Why are we spending so much time trying to build one when there’s one literally down the road from our house that’s for sale and is like the most important drive-in?” he said.
The purchase places the couple among a small group of operators working to maintain an entertainment form that emerged in the early 1930s. The first drive-in is generally credited to Camden, New Jersey, in 1933, and the industry peaked in the late 1950s with more than 4,000 drive-ins nationwide, according to historical counts.
McChesney and McClanahan said they plan to continue operating Shankweiler’s as a functioning theater while preserving its historic features. They have emphasized both maintaining the venue’s vintage character and finding ways to keep it financially sustainable in the modern market, though they have not announced detailed renovation or programming plans.
Drive-ins experienced a steep decline in the latter half of the 20th century because of factors that included changes in land use, multiplex theaters, home entertainment technology and rising land values. In recent years some drive-ins have seen renewed attention as nostalgic venues, community gathering spaces and seasonal or specialty sites for film festivals and concerts.
Shankweiler’s has weathered decades of shifting tastes and economic pressures. Longtime patrons and local historians have described it as a cultural touchstone in the Lehigh Valley region. The sale to McChesney and McClanahan drew interest from neighbors and preservation advocates who had been watching to see whether the property would be repurposed or demolished.
The couple’s purchase underscores a broader pattern in which private individuals, nonprofit groups and local governments intervene to preserve historic entertainment venues. For now, McChesney and McClanahan are focused on immediate operations, community outreach and planning how to balance historic preservation with the practical demands of running a seasonal outdoor theater.
Shankweiler’s long history and continued operation offer a living link to the drive-in era of American popular culture. Under the new owners, the theater will continue to screen films from its classic-era roots into the present day while the couple works to ensure the site remains viable for future audiences.