For almost forty years, the Beltline Drive-In Theater was a beacon along 28th Street, welcoming movie lovers from allover West Michigan. In 1948, Jack looks jumped into the booming post-war drive-in theater business when he bought land on 28th Street in Wyoming to build the theater, which would eventually include a miniature golf course and “Bounce Land” trampoline court. The theater, which was known for its waving Bugs Bunny and Goofy, had a capacity of 850 cars.
The drive-in theater would eventually be replaced by Studio 28, the area’s first in-door multiplex movie theater that featured 20 theaters in one. Studio 28 would close in 2019. The site is now the home of HOM Flats, which faces Prairie Parkway, and Frankie V’s restaurant, facing 28th Street. Jack Looks theater company, which is still locally owned, evolved into Celebration! Cinema with theaters at RiverTown Mall, on the East Beltline and Knapp, and on Kalmazoo Avenue near the M-6 interchange.
The image is supplied by the Wyoming Historical Commission. The commission operates the Wyoming Mich. Historical Room at the KDL Wyoming Branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The history room is open every Tuesday from 9:30 – noon. For more about the Wyoming Historical Commission, visit the organization’s Facebook page.
