Long Prairie Drive-in Theater

Long Prairie, Minn.

In an era where nearly every movie ever made is just a click away, it seems unlikely that people would drive long distances to watch a movie under the night sky from their car. But that’s exactly what thousands of people do each year to visit the Long Drive-In Theater.

As one of only two continuously running drive-ins in Minnesota since the 1950s, the Long Drive-In has been a magnet for generations of movie lovers. Built in 1956 by Tillie Smith of Sauk Centre, the theater had several owners until it was purchased by Cliff and Laurel Meier in 1985. Both had worked at the drive-in throughout the 1970s—Cliff as a projectionist and Laurel at the box office—and both wanted the drive-in to continue.

In the mid-1980s, there were 10 drive-ins within 60 miles of Long Prairie, according to Cliff and Laurel’s daughter, Michelle Claseman. By the early 1990s, all were closed except Long Prairie. “My parents were determined and able to ride out the tough years until business picked back up,” she said.

Cliff passed away in 2008 and the business was too much for Laurel to manage on her own. The drive-in was a passion and an opportunity that Michelle and her husband Dan couldn’t pass up. “It didn’t take long to see why my parents loved it so much,” said Michelle.

Today, moviegoers drive for hours to Long Prairie to experience the thrill of a drive-in. The Clasemans take that effort seriously.

“It’s our responsibility to present them with the best a drive-in has to offer,” said Michelle. “We have oldies music that welcomes them on to the lot, original 1956 car speakers, and lots of fun events. We embrace the movies and have fun with them whenever possible.”

The Clasemans make movies an immersive experience. The showing of “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” included friendship bracelet-making stations that were a huge hit with the Swifties. A Barbie Pink Party had more than 90 percent of the audience dressed in pink for the opening weekend. “We had Barbies and Kens all over!” said Michelle. “That was a down year until Barbie and Taylor Swift came along and saved our entire season.”

The annual Classic Car Cruise in August is one of Michelle’s favorite events. A scene straight out of the 1950s, classic car owners shine up their rides for a night under the stars. “Those are the best nights ever,” she said.
Up to 80 percent of ticket sales go right back to the film studios, so the Long Drive-In’s main revenue is from concessions. The Clasemans have expanded menu options and even offer camping spots for tents and RVs.

With just a single screen, deciding which films to show takes a strategy. “We look at the movie release schedule at the start of the season, do a lot of research and have a very rough draft of the season once we open. We also have a booking agent who screens movies and advises us. But sometimes movies come up out of nowhere, and we adjust our schedules for that.”
The drive-in has to be flexible when movies become wildly popular. Films like “Toy Story 4,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Inside Out 2” had more showings than planned because there was no drop in attendance (a 25 to 40 percent drop each week is typical). This year, the drive-in ran two features, “Twisters” and “Deadpool & Wolverine,” back to back. “We couldn’t pass on either movie,” said Michelle.
During 2023, the drive-in received a Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program grant administered by the Initiative Foundation. “We were very fortunate to be chosen for the grant,” said Michelle. “We’ve done many needed upgrades and repairs, and the next project will be repainting and restoring our original 1956 marquee. We are all pretty excited to get that started. Next spring we are taking out the cracked concrete in front of concessions and replacing it all with pavers. These improvements will all make the drive-in more inviting.”

Long Prairie, Minn.

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