Now playing: Community shares memories about Belleville’s iconic Skyview Drive-In
A BND series about what makes Belleville and southwest Illinois a unique place to live. Send questions and tips to newsroom@bnd.com.
There aren’t too many places left in Belleville that hold decades of memories for the community.
Folks still miss places like the Ritz and the Quad theaters, Fischer’s Restaurant and many other longtime businesses where memories were made.
But we still have Skyview Drive-In.
I was a little embarrassed to confess this to owner Steve Bloomer, but the last time I was at Skyview was in 2002.
I went with my friend Tucker for a showing of “Scooby-Doo” and “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.”
We sat in lawn chairs with a boombox and snacks. I love that we got to see the trailer for “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which we saw at another theater later that year.
The one down side of the night was the car next to us whose occupants kept the engine running throughout the entire first movie. (I assumed it was for the air conditioning.)
It was a huge relief when they didn’t stay for the second movie.
* * *
Skyview Drive-In, the last of the theaters owned by the Bloomer Amusement Company, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Back in 1958 there were more than 4,000 drive-ins, according to Bloomer. Now there are fewer than 300.
While some of those drive-ins may be older than Skyview, Bloomer doubts that any of them can trace their lineage back 75 years to the same family.
Located at 5700 North Belt West in Belleville, the drive-in is a highly recognized landmark.
When it first opened in 1949, it accommodated up to 900 cars. Admission was 60 cents per person; children got in free.
The well-known illuminated rocket ship sign was originally installed in 1950 and stands at the drive-in’s entrance today.
Outside, playground equipment is available in a fenced area in front of the main screen for the kids to enjoy.
The original concession stand building is still there too, although it was added onto later, providing office and storage space.
The concession stand building contains the projection room for the main screen at the front. (The second screen’s projection room is at the back of the property.)
The public area has a set-up for popcorn, soda and other snacks with the original railings to guide the lines.
The restrooms are also located in the building, and additional portable restrooms are on site.
The back wall is lined with framed photos and art depicting memories of the drive-in and other theaters owned by the Bloomer Amusement Company.
An original film projector (it’s huge!) is on display in one corner at the back.
Bloomer told me about some memories hanging in Skyview’s concession stand.
Two photos depict children in his family enjoying the playground area. One shows his cousin Tommy riding a pony. The other shows Bloomer riding in a merry-go-round car.
A large puzzle featuring the rocket ship sign is also on display. If you look closely, you can see the back of the original screen in the background.
Also on display is a montage of photos of a mural being painted at the BAC Cinema (also owned by the Bloomer Amusement Company).
An article about the mural by the BND’s own Roger Schlueter is included in the frame.
The mural was made by artist John Bauers in honor of “The Revenge of the Jedi,” renamed “Return of the Jedi” before its May 1983 release.
My inner Star Wars geek squealed with delight. OK, I may have gushed a bit on the outside too. (I’m not sorry.)
Seventy-five years is a great run, especially for a type of business that isn’t as common as it once was.
And in that time, a lot of people made some lasting memories that include family nights, first dates and outings with friends.
Memories made
The BND requested that people share their memories of Skyview Drive-In. Here’s a sampling from BND readers as well as commenters on the I Grew Up in Belleville, IL Facebook page:
“Years ago I lived on [South] 59th, there was a tavern next door (maybe The Derby Inn?). I met my first girlfriend sitting on the outdoor benches. So actually for me it was a walk-in theater. Then there was the time a tornado that hit the house across 59th Street, skipped over our house and hit the Skyview Drive-In screen. I have moved to North Platte, Nebraska, then to Paducah, Kentucky, been in the Navy, now I am in Chester, Illinois. Your request for memories has stirred up many memories for me.” – Bob Rhodes
“I remembered the movies like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” I also remember running under the screen to the swingset area and playing until it was time to run and get into the car for watching the movie. I also remember my dad buying popcorn for each of us and hooking that speaker up to the car for all of us to hear.” – Linda Wikoff
“One of my best memories of the Skyview Drive-In was from back in the early 1960s when our family met a friend’s family there. We saw the movie “Mary Poppins.” I also remember the small pink ferris wheel they had in front of the screen with other playground equipment.” – Morris Linnemann
“My father built a house across the street from Skyview with a circle drive, still there, and people would dash out and use our circle drive to make their left turn. This [was] right after it opened, 1949. I was 3, but still remember.” – Fred Christian
“One night, several couples from our group of friends were at the drive-in. We were all sitting in front of our cars in lawn chairs. I don’t remember what the picture was but it was very suspenseful. At one point, the bad guy was coming up behind the heroine. One gal in our group was apparently caught up in the moment … she jumped up and in a loud voice yelled, ‘Look out, he’s behind you!’ That, of course got several rows of people in other cars laughing out loud. I’m sure the rest of the people at the drive in had no clue as to what just happened. Our friend ran off to the snack stand and didn’t come back for about 30 minutes. This is burned into my memory.” – Mike Reed
“Memories of the Skyview span my entire life. My first memories were going with my dad and siblings to see movies in our Ford Country Squire station wagon to see Disney movies and specifically remember ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks.’ At intermission we all ran to the front to play on the playground and go down the tall shiney slide. The next goal was to beg our dad to let us stay for the second movie. That was a big night out. I’m sure he had to carry at least three of the four of us in when we got back home as we would fall asleep before the second movie ended.
“As I grew up the memories shifted to when we got our drivers license and would go with large groups of friends, and yes, many times with additional people in the trunk to save a couple bucks. So much fun.
“Later in life where I lived in California I still had a love of the drive-in. When I met my husband before married we would go to drive-ins. If we visited Belleville in the summer we would go to Skyview. Later, as they were all gone in [the] California area, I brought my son to see what a drive-in was, to Skyview. He is now 24, and Skyview is the only drive-in he has ever experienced.
“I will always have nothing but the fondest memories of Skyview. I am so thankful for all of those smiles and laughs. Cheers to another 75!” – Christy Hogan Shimono (currently resides in Fresno, California)
“I remember sneaking up to the back fence and watching R-rated movies.” – Tom Tayon
“I saw Jaws when it first came out there … in the back row, in an overhead camper on a truck. I was about 9-10.” – John Kinney
“I remember going to the Skyview Drive-In. I think it hadn’t been open very long. I was about 7 years old, and I was born in 1942. We used to go quite often to the Skyview. I mean my family, my mom and dad and my brothers and sisters, and at that time we lived in Cahokia, which we later moved to Belleville. I remember seeing “Cinderella,” I remember waiting in line to get in and looking at the sign. It was all lit up with the rocket ship flying up and the stars on the sign and the crunching of the gravel. I remember that. I saw many movies there and we used to go play underneath the screen.” – Linda Giese
“My dad worked there occasionally as a projectionist. Usually before the show he would walk the ramps and pick up change. Best spot was the back rows.” – Nickie Kneedler Schnipper
“I remember having the trunk so full of friends sneaking into the Skyview that the car looked like a low rider and they kicked us out!” – Dave Buesch
“My first Skyview visit to see ‘Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope’!” – Paul Mentzer
“A regular weekend treat for our kids. They loved the playground and the hayrides. The topper was the midnight free donuts if you lasted to the scary movie days . As a family it was great fun. Great prices for families for concessions or we could merely bring our own. A real memory of Belleville fun.” – Marilyn Wikgren
* * *
St. Clair County Clerk Tom Holbrook called me to share some of his own memories of Skyview.
Holbrook remembers the Fourth of July fireworks at Skyview. For two or three nights, folks enjoyed an elaborate display of fireworks, some of which even spelled out words and phrases.
He said you could see the guy lighting the fireworks and remembers that he was “just in awe” of it as a kid.
The playground area was like an amusement park, an “absolute haven for kids to have fun,” said Holbrook, adding that it was like a mini Six Flags before we had one in the area.
In 2020, COVID restrictions were still in place and regular training sites weren’t available for St. Clair County election judges. Skyview hosted the training – for around 1,000 people – over two nights.
Holbrook said a slideshow presentation was shown on the big screen, and “we were able to talk to them through the speakers.”
He said it’s an “absolute miracle we have one of the few drive-ins left” and credits the Bloomer family for keeping it going all these years.
Historic highlights
Skyview Drive-In has a lot of memorable moments in its history. Here are some of the highlights from the first 50 years:
February 1949: Bloomer Amusement Company, a family-owned and operated business, purchased 34 acres on South 46th Street in Belleville for the construction of a drive-in movie theater. This was announced by Wesley Bloomer, who opened Skyview with his brothers Frank Bloomer and Tom Bloomer. Frank Bloomer was Steve Bloomer’s grandfather.
Friday, July 8, 1949: Skyview Drive-In opened. The first film shown on the 60-foot-wide screen was “On Our Merry Way” (1948), starring Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, James Stewart, Dorothy Lamour and Fred MacMurray. Tickets were 60 cents.
May 1950: Skyview’s iconic, illuminated rocket ship sign was installed.
April 1952: Skyview hosted the first of many Easter sunrise services.
April 1955: The screen was widened from 60 to 115 feet to accommodate Hollywood’s new Cinemascope format.
Feb. 25, 1956: A tornado destroyed the movie screen and caused other damages, totaling around $82,000.
July 1981: A windstorm tore down part of the screen. It was quickly replaced, and the drive-in reopened 11 days later.
April 1982: The second screen, 70 feet tall, was added, accommodating 190 vehicles. (The first screen accommodates 440 cars.)
July 1982: Skyview started to replace window speakers with car radios. The speakers were completely phased out by 2001.
Plans for the 75th year
During this milestone year, Skyview will host its Icon-A-Thon April 19-20.
Both nights will show triple features on both screens. Here’s the lineup:
Friday, April 19:
Screen 1: “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” (1971), “Little Shop of Horrors” (1985) and “Popeye” (1980);
Screen 2: “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Flash Gordon” (1980) and “Xanadu” (1980);
Saturday, April 20:
Screen 1: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters!” (1956), “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) with a pre-show by Flustered Mustard;
Screen 2: “The Mummy” (1959), “The Gorgon” (1964) and “The Toxic Avenger” (1984).
Tickets are available in advance on Eventbrite for $35 per car full. They’re also available on the day of for $13 per person at the box office (cash only).
Also in honor of the 75th anniversary, there’s an anniversary T-shirt, which will get free admission for those who wear them on Monday, July 8, the big anniversary day.
T-shirts are available in the concession stand for $20 or can be ordered by mailing a check for $30 payable (covers tax, shipping) to Skyview Drive-In, PO Box 23513, Belleville, IL 62223.
In mid-May, Firebird Fest takes place at Skyview.
Bloomer said the event will include 300 Firebirds and other cars with an evening showing of “American Graffiti” (1973) and “Bullitt” (1968).
Most appropriate for the occasion.
Another Icon-A-Thon event may take place later in the season. Bloomer said other ideas are being thrown around but “haven’t come to fruition yet.”
And watch for Slashfest to return later in the year as well.
As a movie buff whose favorite genres are science fiction and horror, Bloomer seems to enjoy making selections along with a committee.
He said he’s flexible with selections for the main screen but will stand by his picks for the back screen every time.
He’s looking to show “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984) and “The Exorcist” (1973) this year, and there’s talk of including “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark” (1988).
There are also occasional theme nights. Last fall a Weekend of the Witch night was held featuring a costume contest for guests and showings of “Practical Magic” (1998), “The Craft” (1996) and “Death Becomes Her” (1992).
Bloomer’s movie knowledge is impressive. He also pays attention to the notable anniversary years of movies and tries to acknowledge them when selecting a lineup.
Honestly, I could talk about movies with him all day.
About Skyview Drive-In
Skyview Drive-In is located at 5700 North Belt West in Belleville.
It was owned by Bloomer Amusement Company, a family-owned and operated business, which owned multiple theaters and drive-ins including the Ritz Theater, Quad Cinema and Rex Theatre in Belleville, Fairview Twin Cinema in Fairview Heights and drive-ins in Alton, East St. Louis, Centralia, Pontoon Beach and Steeleville.
Skyview is currently open Friday and Saturday starting at 7 p.m. The first movies begin at dusk.
For the latest updates and movie schedules, call 618-233-4400, visit skyview-drive-in.com or follow the Facebook page.
BND Skyview Drive-In Clippings by Jennifer Green on Scribd
Roger Schlueter Mural Story 12301982 by Jennifer Green on Scribd
