Cherry Bowl Drive In Theatre

One of the worst movie going experiences I’ve ever had.
Right off the bat, I noticed their projection was extremely dim. For an outdoor screening like this you need to be pumping some pretty serious light onto the screen to make movies watchable. They should have clinged to their old film platters. A properly projected 35 mm print that plays for a few months is far more desirable then all the most recent releases projected digitally.
The FM audio was decent on the first movie but the audio track on the second movie had an incessant hiss. It was unbearable.
During intermission I went to the snack bar for a cup of water and they charged me nearly a dollar for it! For a plastic cup of water. That should be illegal!
And finally, the worst offense of all: I sat all the way through this terrible movie primarily just to see the post-​credits scene that every online film critic is raving about and they SHUT THE PROJECTOR OFF HALFWAY THROUGH THE CREDITS.
I actually paid money to see the movie and they SHUT THE PROJECTOR OFF before it’s over. My friend even PAed on this movie. I was waiting to see his name! The theater management clearly has no respect for the filmmakers that slaved away thousand of hours to deliver this product to their crappy little venue.
I strongly urge no one to give this establishment any of their hard earned money!

More than a movie night out, the Cherry Bowl Drive In is a family night out. Box office opens at 7:30p and first feature doesn’t start till about 10:00p or dusk in July. In the meantime, you can partake in mini golf or bring a frisbee a or ball and play in the open fields. There’s also playground right in front of the screen and a dog area in the back. It’s $ 10 per person over 12 hrs old. Mini golf is $ 3:50 pp. We were there to see Inside Out then the ‘Advengers’ (sic). Second feature didn’t start till after midnight though so we stayed only for the first hour. Before the movie and during intermission, they showed vintage drive in ads. Fun times for the whole family, especially if you’ve never been to a drive in before.

Opens at 7:30p, show starts at dark… putt putt, pizza, playground. 100% kid friendly! My 3 love it! New projector, great shows.

This is a great place to take the family for a fun movie night. Kids are free and there is a play area up by the screen. Honda replaced the projector to a digital Christie projector over the winter so it wouldn’t have to close permanently. It’s one of 8 or 9 drive in’s saved from the digital transition. The drive in theater retains it’s feel of the 1950’s however, which adds to the fun!

You must come here when in northern Michigan. I feel like I am in Grease!

I’ve been going to the Cherry Bowl since I was a wee tot – my dad packing us kids up and a giant bag of his homemade popcorn. Yes, we bought some goodies, but nothing beats my dad’s popcorn except a real DRIVE-​IN. I’m 45 and my mom remembers going when she was a teen. They still do everything right: including using the old reels of INTERMISSION! I now live in St. Louis, but each summer look forward to another show in my home town when I visit.

This place is GREAT! The cherry bowl is an old style drive in theater a short drive west of Traverse City. I have been here about half a dozen times and enjoyed it immensely every time. For your very reasonable admission price, you get to see two feature films. They really create a fun atmosphere that truly feels like taking a step back in time. They even show vintage ads before each picture. The concession stand is very reasonably priced. My go-​tos are the awesome whole pickles and popcorn. It can get chilly at night so bring blankets and lawn chairs or cozy up in the back of an open SUV. It is so quaint and fun, if you are in the area you should definitely go here!

Fantastic time for kids and adults alike. Every person on the staff was pleasant and helpful. Concession prices are surprisingly affordable, especially for a movie theater. The 1950s theme is really cool. We will definitely return next season!

OH MY GOSH!!! We ran across this on our vacation and WOW. What a great time. The owner’s are fabulous, the old cartoons for concessions and the throwback style is OUTSTANDING. What a great, great time. I loved it, my young kids LOVED it. If you get a chance, GO!

Best drive-​in in the state. Great screen, fun time! They do a 50’s theme and they do it perfect. Easy to see the movie and the speakers and the radio station work well. Nothing to complain about here, all is great!

Had a great time here a great experience and they are well organized. A little smaller than I had in mind, but they were showing modern movies and the car speakers worked well! If you have kids or just want to see a movie in the area I recommend the Cherry Bowl. We saw a double feature Salt and Toy Story 3. We had a wonderful time!

LOVE LOVE LOVE the Cherry Bowl Drive In! Always a highlight of our trips up north. Real old timey. Perfect. A great concession stand that isn’t over priced or ridiculous like modern movie theaters (seriously – a bucket of popcorn for $ 3? A jumbo soda for $ 2? Insane) and they carry more than just popcorn. Candy, caramel apples, ice cream, milk shakes, a variety of fried foods including funnel cake. The place just smells awesome. Old neon signs adorn the walls as well as photos of classic Hollywood stars. Neato!
Each night your entrance fee buys you into a double feature. Usually it’s a kid’s movie first followed by a grown up feature. This past weekend it was two adult films– Salt and Grown Ups. You pull your car into the slot and you have the old fashioned speakers hanging next to your car should you choose them. I’m a mosquito magnet so leaving the windows open would just not do so we opted to listen to the radio feed that runs over a local FM station. Right in front of the screen are swings and a few playground pieces for kids to play around in. Some folks choose to sit on blankets outside of their cars. However you feel most comfortable you can go for it at the Cherry Bowl.
The show begins after dusk and before the first film they make special occasion announcements and everyone lays down on the horn in congratulations of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc. So cute! Then they play an old cartoon short (e.g. an old Disney Mickey Mouse short) and then the first feature film. Following that is a classic intermission with old «let’s all go to the lobby» reels, commercials for mosquito repellant and pickles. Really awesome old timey stuff. Then the second feature beings. We were exhausted and not particularly interested in seeing Grown Ups so we made sure to stick out for the awesome intermission and took off after.
If you’re up in the Leelanau area I highly recommend this wonderful blast from the past. The films never go over pg-​13 so it’s usually kid friendly faire and fun for all ages!

You thought all the drive in theaters in the U.S. were closed, didn’t you?
Nope, and there is a great one in Northern Michigan. Check it out if you are local or are heading up there for a trip to the dunes or what not, it’s a gem.
It’s a REAL old-​timey drive in movie theater! They still use the ORIGINAL speakers! They play vintage footage and cartoons and have a putt-​putt course! The food is old-​timey too — home made fried chicken, anyone? They use a 1950s popcorn machine and actually put REAL butter on their popcorn — I can’t stand it, this place makes me so happy.
Only $ 8.00 to get in for two movies — I’d give this place 10 stars if I could.