Abandoned Appalachia
Just off Lexington Road in Clark County, Kentucky, stands remnants of a local landmark that once shined along the stars in the summer nights—the Sky Vue Twin Drive-In. The gates opened in 1949 at the drive-in welcoming moviegoers of all kinds to a shared space of laughter, wonder, and small-town connection.
Sky Vue started as a single-screen theater, before expanding into a two-screen “twin” that could accommodate more than 300 cars. Each screen has two separate radio stations you would turn into, 88.3 for the front screen and 93.5 on the back screen. A place once surrounded by people, now stands alone along the road.
Where Stories Met The Stars
Like countless drive-ins across the nation, Sky Vue was born from America’s postwar optimism. The 1950s brought a golden age of outdoor theaters, yet few endured as long as Sky Vue. It became one of Kentucky’s oldest operating drive-ins, surviving changing technologies, remaining a constant thread in Clark County’s history.
Generations remember those long summer evenings when the world seemed simpler, and a night at the drive-in felt like a small escape. The hum of car engines quieted as the projector flickered to life, and beneath the Kentucky starlit sky, stories danced across the screen. The smell of buttered popcorn, the chatter of children, and the crackle of the speakers created a rhythm that felt timeless.
The End of the Movie
After decades of service, the Sky Vue Twin Drive-In went dark in 2015. Time had shifted, and with it, the habits of moviegoers. What remained was not just an abandoned theater, but a space heavy with memories.
Hope for a new life soon ended in 2023 when a powerful storm swept through Clark County, tearing at the old screen that had survived since the beginning, and the marquee that had stood for generations. Though the theater had bot been operational in years, the damage was too severe, leaving the site silent once again.
Sky Vue remains a monument to a way of life that helped define a small-town in Kentucky — proof that memories, like stars, continue to shine long after the night fades.
Memories Last Forever
Though it screens no longer light the dark, the spirit of Sky Vue endures through the memories of those who sat beneath its open sky. From its humble beginnings to its final show, it stood as a place of belonging — a reminder that stories shared live far longer than any movie from the beginning to the end credits.
Sources and Further Reading
“Sky Vue Twin Drive-In.” Cinema Treasures. Accessed October 21, 2025. https://www.cinematreasures.org/theaters/13256.
“Sky Vue Twin Drive-In, Winchester, Kentucky.” Jamie in Wanderland, November 29, 2015. https://jamieinwanderland.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/skyvue-twin-drive-in-winchester-kentucky/.
“Former Clark County Drive-In Movie Theater Takes Hit During Storm.” LEX 18 News, March 6, 2023. https://www.lex18.com/news/covering-kentucky/former-clark-county-drive-in-movie-theater-takes-hit-during-storm.
“Abandoned Kentucky Drive-In Theater Once Hosted Thousands of Moviegoers.” WBKR, May 2024. https://wbkr.com/abandoned-ky-drive-in/.