The drive-in theater located in Hermon near the Bangor city line on Hammond Street will not open this season.
It will remain closed for an indefinite period of time, as the owners assess whether the theater can sustainably run in the future, according to Scott Warren of Bangor Mall Cinemas.
The owners cited a changing environment, with many must-see movies being released directly to streaming services that have drawn people away from theater experiences.
The drive-in was originally launched in June of 1950, staying open for 35 years and closing in 1985. The outdoor theater reopened in July 2015, staying open for the past six years.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater also served as an outdoor venue for a number of events.
A handful of drive-in theaters across the state have been fighting for survival in the past few years, as Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services provide alternatives to seeing new movies.
In March, the Saco Drive-In was officially sold, and will become the location of a trailer dealership after serving as a theater for nearly a century. The neighboring Aquaboggan Water Park has offered to develop a space to preserve the drive-in experience, with plans to come as the park seeks out the appropriate permits.
As the roughly half a dozen remaining drive-ins in Maine navigate an increasingly difficult environment, the businesses that do succeed at staying open capture a unique nostalgia for moviegoers.