Family-friendly movies are screened

The number of drive-in theaters in the United States has declined from nearly 4,000 at its peak in the 1960s, to around 370 today. Showboat Drive-in owner Chris Rumfolo said she enjoys being able to provide people with an experience that is increasingly rare.

"It's a step back in time for sure," she said.

Drive-in theaters have always played a prominent role in the lives of Chris, and her husband and co-owner, Johnny Rumfolo.

Chris' parents both worked at the Showboat Drive-in in Bay City—which has since closed down—when they were teenagers. The drive-in was also a popular date spot for Chris and Johnny when they were growing up. Johnny's grandfather even owned a drive-in restaurant in Houston with the same name back in the '50s.

"It was pretty much meant to be that we would open a drive-in," Chris said.

Showboat opened in 2006 in a field that was a horse pasture at the time, according to Chris.

"My husband, two sons and father-in-law actually built it from the ground up—screens and everything," she said.

It started out with just one screen, but they decided to install another one a year into the venture to accommodate the growing number of customers. Since it opened, Chris said she has noticed a steady increase in business each year.

Between the two screens, there is room for about 800 cars, and it is not uncommon for them to sell out, especially in the summer, she said.

The movies shown at Showboat tend to be family-oriented.

"We always try to keep it family friendly," Chris said. "We do play rated-Rs from time to time, but we try to keep it tasteful."

The drive-in itself is staffed by the members of the Rumfolo family who helped get it off the ground. Chris' older son Joe is the projectionist and his wife, Dinah, runs the concessions. Michael, Chris' younger son, operates the ticket booth with help from his wife, Shawna.

The snack bar at Showboat is stocked with all the classic movie theater favorites, as well as a full kitchen where customers can pick up a burger and fries among other items. The '50s-style lobby, which tends to fill up during intermissions, features classic movie posters from throughout the years, arcade games and two big old-time movie projectors in the center of the room.

Chris said she is working to bring technology to Showboat that will allow it to show movies digitally. They have always projected movies using 35-millimeter film, but upgrading to digital would enhance the picture and the audio, she said.

"We're hoping to go digital before summer, but it's a very expensive procedure to take on right now," she said.

Showboat is open Friday through Sunday. Movies begin at dusk and can run as late as 1 a.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for kids. Children under 2 years old get in free.

Showboat Drive-in Movie Theater, 22422 FM 2920, Hockley, 281-351-5224, www.theshowboatdrivein.com