Shortly after buying the Skowhegan Drive-In in 2012, Don Brown noticed a troubling trend.

Even though teenagers were old enough to drive, they weren’t coming to see movies at his theater. And now that those teens are in their mid-20 to early 30s, they aren’t bringing their children to the drive-in either.

“The current environment is not a healthy environment for drive-ins,” Brown said. “It’s like things people put away in the basement or attic and have wonderful memories. It seems it’s no longer relevant anymore.”

And despite a strong 2020 when drive-ins were one of the few safe activities during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown recently made the difficult decision to shutter the 70-year-old theater for good.

Even wildly popular “Barbie” — the surprise billion-dollar hit of the summer blockbuster season — couldn’t save the drive-in.

“While Barbie brought out the best attendance of the summer, it wasn’t enough to make up for the dismal consequences of operations throughout May and June,” Brown wrote on the drive-in’s Facebook page Aug. 29. “One successful film can’t sustain a season spanning 17 to 20 weeks, and that pattern was similar to what occurred throughout the 2021 and 2022 seasons.”

The pending closure follows the sale of the Saco Drive-In in 2022, which was the state’s oldest drive-in (1939) and one of the oldest in the country. 

Earlier this year, Aquaboggan Water Park, located across the street from an old drive-in, purchased the equipment and put up a new screen to offer movies in its parking lot.

The Skowhegan Drive-In is listed as one of six currently operating in Maine alongside theaters in Bridgton, Saco, Westbrook, Farmington and Madawaska.

In the mid-1950s, Maine hit its peak with 39 drive-ins, according to driveinmovie.com.

At the height of their popularity, there were about 4,000 drive-ins across the country, a number that has since dropped to about 300.

(Skowhegan Drive-In General Manager Chaz Wing changes the dates on the sign outside the theater earlier this week. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)

Skowhegan Drive-In General Manager Chaz Wing said a core group of regulars appreciated the unique movie experience, but not enough to fill the 400-car venue.

“Especially since COVID, people got so used to streaming,” he said. “It’s been awful for the exhibition industry, both indoor and drive-in theaters.”

Brown, who has run drive-ins in Maine, Delaware, Massachusetts and New York since the 1980s, said on one recent night in Skowhegan, only 18 cars showed up for a new release at the 11.6-acre property.

He put it up for sale in May and it is currently under contract. The buyers have been tight-lipped, Brown said, so he has no idea what will become of the property.

Wing said most of the equipment will be sold to other theaters or collectors.

Brown said streaming services and Maine’s older population have added up to a difficult situation for the business. At local indoor theaters, he’s noticed that many people are going to movies in the daylight hours.

“If you go for an afternoon matinee, a large percentage of the audience is silver haired,” Brown said.

His Facebook announcement of the closure drew more than 80 comments, many of them from fans who shared their memories.

“This is really sad,” one woman posted. “I saw Star Wars episodes 4-6 here in my ’90 Honda Accord, among many other films. I hope you guys will be able to move on and find something that lights a fire in your heart because you deserve it.”

Another recalled taking her children to the drive-in.

“Will cherish the memories I made as a child and with my own children, sad to see it fade out,” she wrote.

There are still two weekends left to enjoy the drive-in. This Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., the first show is “The Nun 2” followed by “Insidious.”

For the final weekend on Sept. 22 and 23, Brown tracked down a variety of classic movies and those with ties to Maine.

On the 22nd, the line-up includes 1953’s “War of the Worlds,” Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” and “The Perfect Storm,” which depicts the tragic story of the sinking of the sword fishing boat the Andrea Gail.

Then on the 23rd, he will be showing “Smokey and the Bandit,” Stephen King’s “The Shining,” and 1996’s “Twister.”