GHOST DRIVE-IN

If you should ever find yourself in the east central Illinois city of Danville, take Main Street all the way through town heading east toward the Indiana state line. Just outside the city limits stands a ghostly monument to a culture that no longer exists. The remains of a drive-in movie theater called the Illiana. I grew up in a very small town a few miles from the "big city" of Danville, once a blue collar industrial mecca now fallen on hard times. Danville was our go-to center for shopping and entertainment. At one time the city had three indoor theaters and three drive-ins. All have long since disappeared except for one indoor theater (which sat vacant for decades but is now restored), and the dilapidated ruins of the Illiana. This theater closed sometime in the early 1980's, I believe. Why it still stands, I have no idea. But the place fascinates me.

A few years ago I decided to trespass onto this possibly haunted piece of property to see what was left of the buildings and just generally soak up the atmosphere. The entire area was delightfully deteriorated and more than a little creepy. Overgrown weeds and trash were everywhere. I half expected to encounter the exploratory invasion force of the coming Zombie Apocalypse staggering out of what was left of the refreshment stand. I chose not to go into the stand because I was afraid I might never come out.

The screen was still standing, although part of the roof was collapsing. The rest of the structure seemed solid enough to stand defiantly for another fifty years. A door was open on one side, inviting (or daring) me to venture in and take a look around. But as with the concession stand, I decided some doors are best left unentered. There was only one old speaker stand that I could see, no speaker included. The whole property was eerily quiet, even though it was located on a busy thoroughfare. Kind of like the Twilight Zone. I walked around for about twenty minutes, snapped several pictures, and then left for the world of the living.

I drove past the Illiana recently and there was a For Sale sign on the property. After all these years I guess someone has figured out that this piece of land might be of some value. Or could it be that some enterprising soul wants to reopen the theater? How exciting that would be! At least for nostalgia freaks like myself. More than likely the old screen and the other structures will eventually be torn down. I hate to see it. It's a good feeling knowing that ghosts can still find a place to hang out and see a movie under the stars.