Making A Scene At The Galaxy Drive-In Theater

Open Daily at 6 p.m.
Adults $8
Kids $5
Under 5 Free

It is a sad fact that Drive-In movie theaters are quickly becoming a thing of the past. There just aren't many left and the ones that are still standing, struggle to stay in business. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I can't figure out why you wouldn't want to go see a movie where you can wear socks and snuggle under a blanket in the comfort of your own car. Loud candy wrappers, crying babies, and text message alerts are all acceptable as long as your fellow car passengers don't mind. Although our crying baby was still a little distracting, it was nice to be able to actually go to a movie, and once he fell asleep in the back seat, it was like a date night without having to pay a sitter. Bliss.

The Galaxy Drive In Theater in Ennis is a charming, and super affordable, excursion to enjoy with the whole family. The staff is friendly and everyone really strives to give you that drive-in experience.

But let me back up and reiterate the affordable part. The average cost of a movie in Dallas is $11. Getting candy and refreshments is practically out of the question (at least for my frugal spending habits) because you can't find anything decent under $4, but the prices here are great! Although it is quite a drive from the Metroplex (about the distance from Dallas to Ft. Worth), it's worth it. For the price of $8/adult, you get to see not just one, but two feature films.

The Galaxy Drive In not only offers great admission prices for the whole family, but their concession stand is less expensive than a drive-thru food chain. You can get a burger for $2.25, and although it is a little on the small side, it tastes great and has that old-fashioned-hamburger-joint taste, mmmm. Aside from tasty burgers and fries, they've got a wide variety of options. I was surprised to see choices like Chicken BLT Salads and Tamales, and was wishing I could've indulged in more. They were even happy to provide me milk for my child, which was the key to a successful backseat bedtime.

The actual movie watching experience was great. My only complaint was the sun didn't go down fast enough, although I guess the anticipation adds to the excitement. You have the option to either sit comfortably in your car and enjoy your flick, or bring lawn chairs to set up and kick back. Going on a weeknight pretty much ensures there won't be a line to get in, and if you get there early, you have the great advantage of picking the best spot in the lot (of which there are 5).

This is a really great activity for a date night, family fun night, or just movie watching with friends. Because it is a drive-in there is so much freedom and flexibility with how you enjoy your movie. I personally loved the trying-to-get-the-baby-to-fall-asleep for the first half of the movie approach. But I'm not complaining, we got to watch a movie on a giant screen, and for that, I am thankful. There is NO way we could ever bring our baby to a movie theater, but this family-friendly establishment makes it possible. And enjoyable.

Lauren Kimmel is the Co-Founder of Dallas Moms Blog, a great resource for moms looking to connect to other moms, learn and laugh about motherhood, and discover all that Dallas has to offer. She is a wife to a musician and a mother to a bouncing baby boy.