A hidden gem of nostalgia and adventure lies in the vast expanse of the San Luis Valley and endless stretches of open road: a restored drive-in movie theater that offers accommodations for overnight stays.
Far from city lights, the Frontier Drive-Inn in Center is a cinematic sanctuary, a testament to a bygone era.
Originally called the Frontier Drive-In, the theater opened in 1955 and was one of the few places showing Spanish-language films in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the venue screens everything from cult classics to kids’ movies and the occasional art film.
“We don’t share our movie titles until you’re actually on site,” Frontier owner Luke Falcone said. “We want people to come for the full experience. We’ve shown horror films on Halloween and had a weekend of just baseball films.”
While the popcorn is always free, the Frontier wants to expand its food and beverage offerings. Guests can use the shared kitchen and rent cooking equipment to prepare meals.
Before Falcone took over, the last movie shown at the drive-in was in the mid-to-late 1980s. Falcone cleaned up some of the original Arch projectors, speaker system, and popcorn machine to display on site.
Lodging on site
The Frontier offers guests accommodations, including two pods, each with five yurts clustered around gas firepits and spa-like bathhouses. Each yurt is equipped with a queen bed, sitting area, and pellet stoves designed to provide a low-maintenance in-unit fire to provide heat. Or choose one of a pair of Steelmaster sheds, retro-fitted with custom wood-paneled interiors, private bathrooms, and in-floor heat.
But the Frontier isn’t the only drive-in movie theater in the valley. The Star Drive-In in Monte Vista screens movies nightly from mid-May through mid-September.
Like the Frontier, the Star offers lodging at the Best Western Movie Manor, where guests can watch movies on the big screen from the comfort of their rooms.
“We didn’t want to step on their toes, so we thought about how do we turn this into a business that has enough interest,” Falcone said.
“We realized we had to import the customer for that. We’re all in the built-environment space, and this was a unique opportunity to test out different construction methodologies.”
Respecting Dark Skies
Parts of the San Luis Valley, like Crestone, are designated Dark Sky communities, and the Great Sand Dunes National Park is a Dark Sky Park.
“People give us a hard time about our lighting, so we keep it low,” Falcone said. “We don’t want to interfere with your movie experience, but it’s also a Dark Sky-designated place.”
Falcone’s investment hasn’t stopped with the Frontier Drive Inn. He also purchased the old movie theater in downtown Center, which will open this summer and show movies during the day and in inclement weather.
“Our plan is not to run that like a blockbuster movie theater where we’re showing the big summer films,” he said. “We plan to program that as a service to the Frontier. We’re in early talks about hosting smaller film festivals.”
In addition to restoring the theater, Falcone plans to renovate the building to include four apartments and install three Airstream trailers on its side.
Falcone purchased the theater from Steve Huey, an engineer from the Kansas City area who purchased five buildings in downtown Center. In addition to selling the movie theater to Falcone, Huey sold a building to a friend from Lawrence, Kan.
Since discovering Center, Huey and his friends have hosted four Summer Solstice events, which aim to attract a community of artists to the sleepy town. Huey is importing bands from Lawrence and has lined up artists for performances and installations, including Amy Kligman, Misha Kligman, Marie Bannerot McInerney, Cory Imig and Caleb Taylor.
Hyeyoung Shin will conduct a two-day hands-on workshop teaching traditional Korean paper casting.
“It’s going to be a lot bigger this year and more art oriented,” Huey said. “When we move out there and live out there, we’ll do more of this in our space.”
Get to know Center
Center’s history dates back to the mid-19th century when settlers, drawn by the fertile soil and promise of a new life in the American West, began establishing homesteads in the valley.
With the arrival of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in the late 19th century, Center emerged as a hub for agricultural activity, particularly potato farming.
Center experienced growth and development with the expansion of irrigation systems and the establishment of agricultural cooperatives in the early 20th century.
Huey said Center appeals because it’s still untouched, unlike other towns in the valley along the highway.
“All have had some sort of revitalization,” he said. “None of that has ever happened in Center. Very little has changed in 30 years. It’s a blank slate — you’re not fighting something that was already there.”
