Vali-Hi Drive In Theatre

It is like stepping back in time going here. The bang for your buck getting to see three movies for one entrance fee is so great and they have good selection for good prices in the snack bar. We look forward to going here a few times each summer.

Want to watch not just one but three movies? This is one of my favorite places to go. For $ 8.50 per person you can enjoy up to 3 movies. The concession stand is pretty reasonable for pricing too .
What I like to do is get a group together and make it like a potluck/​bbq. Bring some food and come early then hang out with everyone. You enjoy the movie in your own car, bring a fold out chair and so forth .
The only downfall is your neighbors. Some will have their headlights on or make a lot of noise but other than that. It’s pretty awesome. Looking forward to watching a few more movies here before the summer ends.

Great experience and it’s so inexpensive! $ 8.50 for three movies and they’re current too! The line-​up changes weekly so check their website before going. Also, be sure to bring cash, they don’t accept credit cards.
I’ve gone to the drive-​in numerous times now and it’s always a fun time… as long as you’re in the front seats. Sitting in the back is a bit uncomfortable but I’ve seen people get creative with the trunks of their cars.
I would suggest going early! There aren’t really any «bad spots» but the place can fill up pretty quick. Box office opens at 7 pm but depending on the night (weekends are much busier), you can usually find a line going down the road leading up to the entrance. Movies start 15 minutes after sundown.
When I say the drive-​in is an experience, I mean that it’s not just about the movies. I’ve seen people bring portable grills and play games outside of their cars before the movies start.
However, if you’re not this prepared, there are always concessions! Not the best food but it’s decent and they have a lot of options.
The screen is MASSIVE and the quality is pretty great. Each parking spot has a detachable speaker that you can either leave on the stand or take off of it and hang it on your window for better sound. If you don’t like either of those options, you can leave your keys in the ignition and turn on your radio — you risk draining your battery but you can go to the concessions and ask for jumper cables if needed.

This is by far the best theater I’ve been to! It’s so fun! They have 3 movies each night (Fri-​Sun) it opens at 7 but you can arrive earlier (which id recommend) to get good parking. The movie doesn’t start though until it gets dark so 8:30ish. The concessions are incredibly cheap and tickets to get in are $ 8.50 adults and $ 1 for kids. 5 and under are FREE! They also play fairly new movies that are currently in theaters.

I absolutely LOVE this drive in! $ 8.50 for 3 movies, and less for children! It makes it very affordable to bring families! Kids are running around and playing games while it was light out! Bring a grill, and grill out with the fam! Or bring in whatever you’d like! I enjoy the concession stands too. Not very expensive, and is a GREAT theatre.
My sister and I make an extreme effort to make it whenever the movies are changed.

Great place, unique experience for the kids. We love going at least a couple times a summer!

$ 8.50 for three current movies? Check.
Cheap and large concessions stand? Check.
One of the only Drive Ins in the state? Check.
Consensus: If you have not been to Vali-​Hi Drive In yet, WHY NOT? This place is AWESOME!!!
My family has made a new summer tradition. Love it. One word of advice, bring yourself a boombox or portable radio so that you don’t have to worry about your car battery dying on you (although they offer free jumper kits if you do). Also this is probably the most kid friendly movie theater in existence in Minnesota.

Nice place! Family friendly, pet friendly, and a friendly step back to my childhood! It’s a rare treat for yourself or with family. I’m at a local St Paul East RV Park and this is minutes from my camper!
Bring lawn chairs, blankets, air mattress, and grill, that’s what I’ve seen tonight! Great families making memories together!

Great way to spend an evening. Bring folding chairs, blankets and pillows for the movie watching and lawn games, or a frisbee or something to keep you busy before dark when the movie starts. So many people grilling out and hanging out like one big party. Great family fun. Also, concessions are very reasonably priced as are the video games. And don’t miss the vintage black and white photo booth!

$ 8.50 for three awesome movies? Count me in!
It was my first time ever going to a drive-​in theater yesterday and I might’ve been a bit skeptical at first, but this place is legit.
Doors open at 7PM, but movies don’t start until «dusk» which for us, meant close to 10PM. We arrived, set up some tables and chairs, pulled out some beers, and got the grill going. People take their drive-​in theaters seriously! I saw lawn games, and finger-​lickin’ juicy steaks and kabobs on grills. Lots of families with vans prop open the trunk with the kids laying in the back.
I was unsure about how the sound or the view of the movie was going to be. After arriving though, I realized there’s a TON of different parking spots and the screen is prompted high enough that most everybody has perfect view. Just avoid parking behind the blue building. Once the movie begins, you just tune your car radio to a certain frequency and even though you think the sound is going to be coming from just your car, everyone has their speakers turned up and it’s some legit surround sound in that field.
They have about 6 – 7 bathrooms for ladies but FYI, DO NOT go to the bathroom right before or after the movie if you’re a lady unless you want to wait 30+ minutes. Try to go halfway in between the movie if you don’t mind missing just a minute or two or immediately when the credits begin because the line gets ridiculously long. The blue building also includes a little mini arcade, great for kids to play with while waiting the 2 – 3 hours for the movie to begin.
Overall, great place, close enough to the cities, and definitely worth the money. Final tips: cash only and only one transaction per car.

Can I Just say I love this theater I mean you buy 1 ticket $ 8.50 (per person obviously) but you get to watch THREE movies WHATT!!! I believe the movies start at 7 pm and end at 3 am! but you have to come here early to get a good car spot it fills up like crazy
I haven’t had there food I always stop by pizza hutt and order it to go mmm!
Its a nice old school drive in make sure your car radio works or else hopefully your neighbor has the volume blasting! and maybe bring a battery charger if you got an old car but don’t worry if you don’t have one the stand can lend you one if your battery goes dead you just need your ID to leave it with them.
You don’t have to watch all 3 movies I usually just watch the 1^st and 2^nd because I get sleepy by the time the 3^rd one starts!
TIP if you got kids makes sure you don’t end up all the way in the back of the lot lol just saying suspicious activity goes on just a warning lol

One thing is for sure, you can beat these prices. If you’re down for being up late, it’s three movies for only $ 8.50 (and only $ 1 for kids 12 and under. Yup, that’s right — $ 1! Kids under 5 get in for free). That’s less than seeing a single movie at most theaters, so even if you only stay for the first movie it’s a bargain. Typically the first movie is the best/​newest one with the final movie being one that’s a little older or didn’t do too well at the box office. So while staying for all three is fun, you’re able to get your money’s worth without the huge time commitment.
But if you do have a whole evening to kill, this is such a great way to spend a summer night. Grab your mini grill, some friends, blankets, and a cooler full of beverages and spend the night chilling outside and having a great time. I honestly can’t think of a more fun way to hang out. It amazes me that drive-​in theaters are a thing of the past, because it’s just so much fun.
Also, don’t worry if your car radio doesn’t work, because they do have the old-​fashioned sound box things still installed there. They sit on little stands between each parking spot broadcasting the sound so you can hear it if you’re outside your car. It is on a little cord too so you can hang it on your car window if you want. Otherwise, just tune your radio into their broadcast station to pick up the movie sound.
On the weekends this place gets packed, so be sure to get there a little early so you can find a good spot. That gives you time to light up your charcoals if you plan on grilling at all. If you don’t feel like making your own food there is a concession stand that sells popcorn, candy, hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza. But honestly, that’s a lot less fun (and a lot less tasty).
Last thing — be sure to bring cash with you, because they don’t take plastic. That’s the only down side I can think of with this place, but honestly it’s only a minor inconvenience at best.

This is one of the only places in Minnesota where you can truly let it all hang out. I’ve seen whole families arrive in a 70’s Ford Econoline van with dad lighting off bottle rockets from inside the vehicle while babies and pit bulls run loose with sparklers and mom throws tube steaks on the grill.
The best way to experience your 3 movies is to come in a pick up truck and toss some blankets in the back and bring a cooler full of cold beverage, NOS. Bring a boom box to pipe up the movie sounds.
The bathrooms here are frightening. It’s good to be a guy. I’ve had slices of frozen pizza and popcorn from the concessionaire. It’ll tide you over if you forgot the grill. Think of it as a donation to keep a place like this in business.
The movie is secondary. It’s all about people and dog watching here.
The intermission reels are the best: there’s one featuring endless shots of baskets full of puppies with groovy, 70’s elevator music in the background. Another vintage standard has disgusting close up shots of chili dogs while a creepy narrator moans with delight followed by exhortations to get to the concessions stand immediately and a dramatic countdown to the next movie.
Every years there are rumors that this place will close down, but it keeps on hanging on.
I don’t know if the other one way out off of I94 east of St. Paul is still around or not. That one was okay, but is was much more regulated and controlled than Vali-​Hi, and hence not as much fun.

It’s nice that you can see three movies for less than the price of one most places nowadays. It’s worth the trip if you’re investing an entire night to it. But despite the doors opening at 7 (which is when you’ll want to arrive if you want a decent spot) the movie won’t start until sunset (usually around 9pm) so you should plan accordingly.

You pay 1 admission for THREE movies. Count that again, Three.
You sit wherever you want in the complete comfort and privacy of your car.
No one tells you to be quiet, stop throwing popcorn or sit down.
Best movie theater– Ever.

1. Value: 3 movies for $ 8.50? Yes please!
2. Concession Stand. $ 1.00 hot dogs? Are you kidding me? Theaters charge $ 3 — $ 5 for a hot dog.
3. Popcorn. Best movie popcorn you can get anywhere. LOVE IT.
4. Fun. It’s a blast packing up the car and family and heading to the Drive-​In. Vali-​Hi represents an important piece of American history which I hope never gets lost. You OWE it to yourself to go to a Drive-​In at least once!

A fun place, reasonably priced. The two complaints I have are, they allow drinking and the bathrooms after 8:00pm became DISGUSTING!!! Toilets not flushed, Garbage over flowing, no paper towels and sinks clogged! My husband said the men’s was worse! YUCK! We complained twice, seen a lot of employees standing around, but no one seemed to care. We needed to leave halfway into the second movie because the drinking was getting out of control. Maybe if they had a «family only» sections it may have been tolerable. Would we return… maybe.

This is what I believe to be the last drive-​in in the entire MPLS/​St. Paul area, I’m a huge fan! And if they ever try to close, I’m forming a human chain around it to stop the bulldozers! Anyway, that all being said, this place is great! Nostalgic and fun and great for everyone. Hey that rhymed! The cost is amazing, $ 19.00 for two adults and two kids! The concessions stand is half the price of a regular movie theater! And this place is dog friendly! What more could anyone ask?!

Three movies for the price of one? Hell yeah I’m down! So here is some need to know information, most of the reviews touch on some of them but here its is in steps:
— Get there early! They start letting cars in at the opening time. So before that you will have to park patiently outside the drive-​in and wait. If you come later you may not be able to get in! Personally I get there at 6 when they open at 7.
— Movie starts when it gets dark, so lots of down time. Bring food and BBQ and bring some entertainment.
— Womens bathrooms will have loooonnng lines. Go when you get there and not right before the movie!
— Not all the speaker boxes work well. The earlier you arrive you can play around and find a good spot or you will have to listen in the car on the radio.
— Bring blankets, it gets chilly at night.
— CASH ONLY!
This is a great way to enjoy some outside time. I go with a group and we make it a «Movie Picnic» The quality of the movies is great and the over all experience is always memorable.

With only 50 of these left in the whole country I’m thrilled to have been coming here for over a decade. This is one of my favorite things to do when the nice weather hits the state. It’s cheap. It’s outside. You can bring your own food, grill out and bring your own booze. You can bring your pup. The picture is clear and you get 3 movies for 8 bucks (cash only). What more could one want out of a drive in? I feel like I’m in the movie Grease when i come here. They even used to play the dancing hot dog cartoon before the show started. Sadly they don’t do this anymore. They should though.
The only thing that sucks about this place is the bathrooms. Seriously they suck. Awful, awful, awful. The staff clearly only cleans them the next day before the next show. By the time the first movie starts there is water on the counters, toilet paper all over the floor and they are usually out of hand towels. I even walked into the concessions to tell them they needed cleaning and they never did. Just be prepared. They aren’t nasty like a port a potty but they are bad. I have such a good time though that the crap ass bathrooms don’t deter me from coming here.