Entry No. 52 — the Seattle file — filed under: after-dark
Wheel-In Motor Movie
Running continuously since 1953, this is one of only five surviving drive-ins in Washington and arguably the most charming, perched on the Olympic Peninsula and screening double features Friday through Sunday in season. Sound comes through your car's FM radio while the on-site snack bar cooks concessions to order. Sunset Magazine once dubbed it number one in the West, and it still draws people across Puget Sound for the ritual.
The story
Since 1953, this grassy patch off 210 Theatre Road has outlasted almost every other outdoor screen in Washington state. While hundreds of mid-century drive-ins were flattened into suburban strip malls, the Wheel-In stayed quietly planted on the Olympic Peninsula, running double features every Friday through Sunday during its operating season.
You don't just stumble upon it. Reaching the field from Seattle requires timing a ferry crossing across Puget Sound and making the drive toward Port Townsend before sunset. Once you pull onto the grass—which caps out at just 125 cars—you tune your car stereo to their FM signal and hit the snack bar for hot food cooked to order, including burgers, pizza, and nachos. Sunset Magazine once named it the top drive-in in the West, but its real pull is simply that the ritual survived intact.
What it's like
Queue up along Theatre Road well before the 7:45 p.m. box office opening—the 125-car lawn fills up fast on prime summer nights. Bring a portable FM radio if you want to save your car battery, stack blankets in the back of your vehicle, and get your food order in at the concession stand before dusk hits and the first reel starts.
The move: Catch the ferry across the Sound, claim a spot before the 7:45 box office rush, and watch a dusk-to-late double feature from a blanket pile in the back of the car.
📍 Before you go Open Friday-Sunday in season; box office opens 7:45 p.m., movies start at dusk; cash or card; reaching it from Seattle involves a ferry plus drive.
- 📍 Port Townsend, WA
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 210 Theatre Road, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Manresa Castle — Stay overnight in a 30-room 1892 brick mansion turned hotel less than three miles down the road after the second feature ends.
- Bioluminescence Night Kayak Tour (Port Gamble) — Pair two after-dark Olympic Peninsula activities by paddling through glowing dinoflagellates in Port Gamble Bay before or after your theater run.
- Earth Sanctuary — Catch a ferry via Whidbey Island to walk among sacred-geometry stone circles before crossing over to Port Townsend for nightfall.
Good to know
How do you hear the movie audio?
Sound streams directly through your vehicle's FM radio frequency, so you'll tune in once you park on the grass.
How do I get there from Seattle?
You'll need to take a ferry across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula (such as Bainbridge or Edmonds-Edmonds/Mukilteo connections) and drive to 210 Theatre Road in Port Townsend.
Does the box office accept credit cards?
Yes, the theater accepts both cash and card payments at the gate.
What food options are available?
The on-site snack bar cooks food to order, including hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and nachos.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · komonews.com · sunset.com · Facebook
last checked: 2026-06-24