Frontier Drive-Inn Opens New Stargazing Structures and Movies for 2023
Reimagined Outdoor Theater in Colorado’s San Luis Valley Now Open for Summer Reservations
Frontier Drive-Inn, Colorado’s cinematic gem and reimagined hospitality destination, is now open for the 2023 summer season and has announced its Movie Weekend Series lineup, running now through September 23, along with completed adobe structures for stargazing. After a successful reopening in 2022 following a nearly four-decade closure, Frontier Drive-Inn has received numerous accolades for its overnight accommodations, unique 3D printed adobe structures, fully restored movie screen, and its innovative cultural programming.
“We are thrilled to welcome guests back this summer season to enjoy weekends of curated movies, and Skylos for stargazing,” said Luke Falcone of Continuued, part of the team overseeing the Frontier Drive-Inn restoration project. “Frontier Drive-Inn serves as a gateway to the San Luis Valley and the surrounding region as well as a gathering place for Coloradans from near and far.”
Frontier Drive-Inn offers a thematic repertory film program with screenings airing each Thursday through Saturday that combine past and present. While bundled up on the lawn under the stars, rather than in a car, guests will revel in an unexpected mix of classics, cult and independent films. Themes for weekends this summer include “Really Fast Cars and Bald Strong Guys,” “Bugs, Bugs and more Bugs,” “Dance Fever,” “Weekend of Wayne” and more. Film schedules are circulated to guests upon booking. Frontier Drive-Inn movies are subject to change at the team’s discretion.
On Saturday, July 29 from 4:00pm to 9:00pm, Frontier Drive-Inn will host a public opening for Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum’s newly commissioned 160-acre earthwork, Orisons by artist Marguerite Humeau. Located in the town of Hooper, Orisons marks one of the largest earthworks created by an individual woman artist to date and a more environmentally conscious approach to land art by being minimally invasive and sensitive to the fragile ecosystem. For more information on the artwork and to RSVP to the opening celebration visit www.orisons.art.
Frontier Drive-Inn features 14 thoughtfully designed lodging accommodations including 10 single-room yurts and four single-room hotel suites as well as communal adobe structures designed by renowned architect Ron Rael and his team at Emerging Objects. Called Skylos, the open-roofed structures combine indigenous building materials with cutting-edge technologies of printing 3D and allow guests to enjoy stargazing of the pristine San Luis Valley night sky.
Frontier Drive-Inn draws inspiration from the surrounding San Luis Valley vernacular. The Frontier’s iconic sign and screen have been fully restored, and the original snack bar has been brought back to its original vitality and has been renovated to include includes a chef’s kitchen and seating for 25 people. Perfect for events, the Frontier is also available for full buyouts for small groups, events or weddings.
The Frontier Drive-Inn is located on Highway 285 just outside the agricultural hub of Center, Colorado, in the San Luis Valley. Flanked by the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, the San Luis Valley is in direct proximity to the many recreational opportunities within the region, including the Sand Dunes National Park, Wolf Creek Ski Area, Penitente Canyon, numerous hot springs and the Rio Grande River. Center is approximately a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Denver, and two-hour drive from both Aspen and Santa Fe, N.M.
Lodging rates begin at $150/night.
Images courtesy of Sophie Kuller.
About Frontier Drive-Inn: Opened in 1955 as a traditional drive-in theater, Frontier Drive-Inn has been reimagined as a hospitality destination after 35 years. Featuring 14 thoughtfully designed guestrooms, unique outdoor 3D printed adobe structures for stargazing and a fully restored screen, Frontier Drive-Inn invites overnight guests to discover and take inspiration from its unique, remote surroundings in the heart of the San Luis Valley of Colorado. For more information visit www.frontierdriveinn.com.