Entry No. 52 — the Bozeman file — filed under: after-dark
The Pasture Drive-In Theater
A genuine drive-in cinema in a working family hay pasture, dreamed up by a Manhattan High School senior during the 2020 lockdown for his entrepreneurship class and run by the Blanchard family ever since. You park in an actual field southwest of Bozeman and watch films projected under the wide Gallatin Valley sky. Beyond movies the field doubles as a community gathering spot, hosting school fundraisers and special-event screenings through the summer season.
The story
High school entrepreneurship assignments usually die in a Google Slides presentation. In 2020, Manhattan High School senior Porter Blanchard took his class project literally: he convinced his family to clear space in their active hay field off Little Camp Creek Way and build a movie screen from scratch. What began as a lockdown-era solution for stuck-at-home neighbors stuck around. The Blanchard family still owns and operates the setup, pulling back hay-cutting operations every summer to park cars between the rows.
You won't find asphalt, rowed speaker poles, or corporate multiplex trailers out here in Amsterdam. In 2022, they upgraded the screen to a 50-foot rig that sits right against the Gallatin Valley horizon. The field functions as part cinema, part rural block party: on any given weekend, you might pull up for a double feature that doubles as a Manhattan Christian School fundraiser with Scott's pulled pork and fries, a school supply drive, or a local country concert before the projector fires up.
What it's like
Expect to turn off the paved road and drive straight onto dirt and tall grass—you're parking in a real pasture, so leave the low-clearance sports car at home. The lot caps out around 20 to 30 vehicles, meaning spots fill fast once gates open (usually a couple of hours before dusk). Pack lawn chairs, heavy blankets, and insect spray. Because screen visibility relies entirely on ambient light and ground conditions, weather dictates whether showtime happens at all; offbeat operations mean checking their Facebook or Instagram before turning off the highway.
The move: Pack blankets and snacks, back the car into the field at dusk, and watch a double feature under the open valley sky with the seats folded down.
📍 Before you go Seasonal and weather-dependent; movie nights and showtimes are posted mainly on their Facebook/Instagram rather than a fixed schedule, so confirm before driving out.
- 📍 Amsterdam (south of Manhattan)
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 360 Little Camp Creek Way, Manhattan, MT 59741
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Madison Buffalo Jump State Park — Pair an afternoon exploring the ancient limestone cliff in Three Forks with a sunset drive into the pasture for dusk screenings.
- Lookout Throwing Co. — Trade indoor urban axe throwing on Pronghorn Trail for an outdoor screen set up in an active hay field.
- Montana Entomology Collection (MTEC), Montana State University — Spend the afternoon examining pinned bugs inside MSU's Marsh Labs before watching movies under the open Gallatin Valley night sky.
Good to know
Where is the drive-in located?
It is located in an agricultural field at 360 Little Camp Creek Way in Amsterdam, Montana, just south of Manhattan and southwest of Bozeman.
How do ticket sales and showtimes work?
Admission is charged per vehicle (typically $20 per car). Because showtimes and movie titles vary and depend on summer weather, schedules are posted primarily on their social media pages and website calendar.
Are concessions available on site?
Yes. Standard theater fare like popcorn and snow cones are available, alongside rotating food options like pulled pork and fries depending on which community group is hosting that night's event.
Is the drive-in open year-round?
No, it is strictly seasonal and weather-dependent, operating during the summer months when dusk offers clear skies over the valley.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: bozemandailychronicle.com · Official site · Facebook · bozemanmagazine.com · my1035.com
last checked: 2026-06-24