Future Uncertain for Kanopolis Drive-In After Projector Failure

Kylans News Busters 

By Kylan Stevens 

Drive-in owner Jessica Eagle-Moyer tearfully shared the news with customers in a video posted to social media, explaining that weeks of attempts to repair the aging projector proved unsuccessful.

“Our projector finally died and it is not going to be able to be fixable,” Eagle-Moyer said. “They just don’t make parts for this machine anymore. It is at its age limit.”

The projector, one of the first digital models ever manufactured, has reached the point where repairs are no longer possible. Replacing it would cost around $100,000, a daunting expense for the small, family-run theater.

The closure is especially hard for Eagle-Moyer and her husband Tyson, who took ownership of the Kanopolis Drive-In earlier this year. The couple had been working to restore and upgrade the historic venue, pouring what they described as “hearts and souls” into bringing the drive-in back to its former glory.

The loss of the projector not only ends the season early but also forces the cancellation of planned community events, including a release party for Taylor Swift’s new album and the popular “Monsterama” all-night campout.

Opened in 1952, the Kanopolis Drive-In has a capacity of 160 cars and is one of only three remaining drive-in theaters in Kansas. At the peak of the drive-in era, more than 5,000 such theaters operated nationwide. Today, just about 280 remain.

After closing in 2006, the Kanopolis Drive-In was revived in 2011 under the ownership of Josh Webb. In 2024, the Eagle-Moyers began their own chapter of the drive-in’s history, continuing its legacy as a gathering place for families, friends, and film lovers.

Though devastated, Eagle-Moyer said they will regroup and work toward finding a way to replace the projector before the 2026 season.

“We are going to try and figure out what we can do to make this happen,” she said. “This drive-in means so much, not just to us, but to this entire community.”

For now, the Kanopolis Drive-In is closed for the season, leaving its future uncertain but not without hope.

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