Renovation work begins on Tulsa's Admiral Twin Drive- In

Tulsa's Admiral Twin Drive-in is getting a tune up. The drive-in was voted America's favorite hidden landmark in an on-line poll. <br/><br/>Because of that, Hampton Inn hotels presented the drive

Tuesday, May 24th 2005, 10:30 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa's Admiral Twin Drive-in is getting a tune up. The drive-in was voted America's favorite hidden landmark in an on-line poll.

Because of that, Hampton Inn hotels presented the drive in with a $35,000 check to help fix it up. The Admiral Twin at 7355 East Easton is only one of eight drive-ins remaining in Oklahoma.

Along with that big check, comes about 100 hours of volunteer labor. Hampton Inn employee volunteers doing some on the spot clean-up, paint-up, and fix up. News on 6 reporter Rick Wells talked to some of those volunteers about why they get involved.

16 volunteers from the five Tulsa area Hampton Inns spent the day cleaning up around the Admiral twin Drive-In. Volunteers with more experience helped those with less, the object is getting involved in the communities where they live and work. Judy Crista-Cathey: "it's a way of connecting and helping people make those wonderful memories."

This save a landmark program has connected with 23 landmarks in 18 states, this time it's the Admiral Twin Drive-In. It opened in 1951 as the Modernaire, a second screen was added later and it became the Admiral Twin. It was featured in Francis Ford Coppela's 1980 film "The Outsiders", as kind of the ultimate 50's hangout.

Some of the volunteers doing the fix-up have their own drive-in memories. Elias Thompson used to come on Wednesday nights. Most of the time she said they never watched the movie, it was just a great place to have fun with your friends, and Elias Thompson thinks it still is. â€œIt's really cool to back your truck up and put a lawn chair in the back and actually watch it."

The $35,000 will help put new tile on the floor of the concession stand, improved lighting and signs at the front gate. And it will provide some paint and fix-up for the screens, assuring drive-in movie memories for years for years to come.

The Admiral Twin won the make over money in an on-line contest against the Hogback Bridge featured in the movie "The Bridges of Madison County." 100,000 people voted for the Admiral Twin. It was a runaway winner.