Tibbs Drive-In Theater in Indianapolis

As soon as the spring evenings begin to warm up, Tibbs Drive-In is open so you can catch the latest flicks in the great outdoors. This is one of the best family-friendly movie theaters in Indy! Tibbs Drive-In is open on March 22, 2024. Located west of downtown, Tibbs shows movies on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Summer usually brings a few weeknight offerings as well!

Tibbs Drive-In is a classic American drive-in movie theater. It has been in operation since 1967 and is one of the few remaining drive-ins in the country and one of several still in Central Indiana. The theater is known for its nostalgic atmosphere, retro concessions, and affordable ticket prices, making it a popular destination for families and movie lovers of all ages.

When I was a kid, my parents would put us into our pajamas to get us ready for bed and then tell us that we were actually going to the drive-in movie theater! We’d load up the car with snacks, lawn chairs, and blankets. I never actually remember seeing any movies, I’m pretty sure I slept through them and my parents enjoyed the movie in peace and quiet as we snoozed away in the back of the car.

The summer that I was on bed rest, the drive-in theater was the perfect solution to bed rest boredom! My feet could be up, I could lie down and still watch all of the brand-new summer movies. When the babies were born, we could watch two movies and they would only wake up to eat! These are just some of the reasons that make drive-in movies the most kid-friendly movie theaters ever.

Tibbs Drive-in Movie Theater in Indianapolis

Tibbs Drive-in opens in March and stays open until late October. The first movie starts at dark, meaning it varies between about 7:30 to 10 pm depending on the season. Check the website for current approximate start times.

One of the main draws of Tibbs Drive-In is its affordable ticket prices. A single admission ticket costs $12 for adults and $6 for children aged 4-12 and children 3 years old and younger are free. The theater also offers discounted rates for seniors, military personnel, and college students.

The admission fee allows you to watch two movies back-to-back on one of the theater’s three screens, which is a great value for moviegoers looking to maximize their entertainment experience. You can even bounce around to another screen and watch a different movie if the second film in your double feature isn’t one you’d choose.

Tip: there is a playground for the kids to play on at screen #1 and this is where most of the children’s or family movies are screened.

How Tibbs Drive-in Works

Arrive at least 30 – 45 minutes early to get to your favorite spot. We love parking right smack dab in the middle. The lines to get into the lot and purchase tickets can get pretty long during the middle of summer, so we like to arrive about an hour early. There are designated parking spots for cars and a different designated spot for trucks, SUVs, and minivans.

When you arrive, you’ll be given a trash bag to collect all of your trash, and a guide to which channel you need to tune in to. When you arrive at your screen, you can get comfortable and tune your car radio to the channel assigned to your screen. When we attend with multiple families or when the weather is perfect, we like to sit outside in lawn chairs, so we bring a battery-operated radio so we can hear from outside.

The theater screens a variety of movies, from new releases to classic films, and caters to all ages. Family-friendly films are typically shown earlier in the evening, followed by more mature films later in the night. The theater also hosts special events throughout the year.

What to bring to Tibbs Drive-in

We love meeting up with friends and arriving early enough to eat dinner, so someone always brings a card table and a lantern and everyone brings snacks and beverages. There are also plenty of food items and snacks available for sale at the Tibbs concession stand.

Sometimes the evenings get chilly, especially early in the season, so we bring a blanket for everyone and sweatshirts. Pillows are great if you are popping open the back of the minivan or SUV. Once it gets a little warm out, the mosquitos like to join the party so we bring insect repellent. A flashlight is helpful for taking little ones to the concession building to use the bathroom.

My kids love playing with all of the other kids on the playground at screen #1 and they often get very dirty and sometimes a little wet if it has rained at all during the week. For this reason, I’ve started bringing an extra pair of pants for each of them and diaper wipes.

While we’re waiting for it to get dark and hanging out with our friends, we also have bubbles and a ball for the kids to play with in case we aren’t at screen one and would like them to stay in our immediate area. Each person in our family has a camping chair that we bring along, but the kids like to sit in the back of the minivan.

I just know that you’ll love the drive-in movies just as much as our family does! While there are other drive-in theaters in the area surrounding Indy, Tibbs is the only one in Indianapolis.

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Summertime brings tons of free and cheap movie options to the Indy area!

Beat the high scores on these retro arcade games and pinball machines.

Address
480 South Tibbs Avenue
Indianapolis
Indiana

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