Entry No. 41 — the Buffalo file — filed under: drive-in
Transit Drive-In
Five screens, a rebuilt 1950s neon marquee, and room for roughly 990 cars, run by the Cohen family for three generations — Rick Cohen has been in charge since 1987, when at 19 he converted the lot to FM stereo sound. The programming is the tell: in August 2026, screen one is running Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey as a double feature while first-run Spider-Man and Insidious sequels play two screens over. A 19-hole mini-golf course called The Greens Under The Screen has sat below the big screen since 1995. Admission is $12 adults, $8 kids, every ticket a double feature — and with no advance sales, everyone queues at the box office the way they have since the Cohens bought the place in 1957.
→ Three at a time, never the same twice — explore weird Buffalo
The story
Irving and Mary Cohen met in Rochester in 1925, married in February 1926, and were running theaters across Central and Western New York by 1927. They bought the Transit Drive-In from a group of Buffalo-area businessmen in 1957, and the family has held it ever since. The lot grew from 600 cars to roughly 990 by 1973. A December 1971 windstorm brought the original screen tower down, and it was replaced with a 98-by-60-foot Selby tower; a concession fire in 1973 didn't close the place either.
Rick Cohen, the third generation, has run it since 1987, when at 19 he converted the sound to FM stereo and installed a platter system. The screens came after: a second in 1994, a third in 1996, a fourth in 2001 that made Transit the largest drive-in in New York State, and a fifth since. The 1950s neon marquee on South Transit Road was rebuilt rather than retired. In 1995 the family put a 19-hole mini golf course, The Greens Under The Screen, into the ground beneath the big screen — $5 a player, with a playground beside it.
The programming is the tell that this is a family business and not a circuit. In late August 2026, screen one runs Blade Runner at 9:00 into 2001: A Space Odyssey at 11:20 while first-run Spider-Man and Insidious sequels split screens three and five and a Paw Patrol double feature holds screen two. Every ticket buys a double feature — $12 for ages 12 and up, $8 for ages 5 to 11, free under 5, $9 if you turn up for the second film only — and there are no advance sales at all. Different studios own each pair of films, so switching screens gets you ejected rather than scolded. On a good weekend the box office has sold out up to 45 minutes before showtime, which means the queue on South Transit Road is the ticketing system.
What it's like
Gates open at 7 pm Friday and Saturday and 8 pm the rest of the week, but first features don't roll until around 8:55 or 9, because Western New York summer light does not cooperate. Use the gap on purpose: mini golf is $5 a player, the playground is free, and the snack bar is the profit center and knows it. You pay at the box office at the gate — no advance sales — then pick a screen and commit, because switching gets you removed. Park inside one space, keep it to 10 mph, and tune to the FM frequency for your screen; a battery-powered radio lets you sit outside in lawn chairs without killing the car. Leashed pets are welcome, unruly ones aren't. No grilling, no delivery drivers. Rain plays and there are no rain checks. Walk to the restrooms rather than drive.
The move: Tonight's move: gates at 8 pm (7 pm Friday–Saturday), so roll into 6655 South Transit Road early enough for a round of mini golf, tune the FM dial, and settle in for Blade Runner into 2001 — $12 each covers both films.
📍 Before you go No advance tickets — box office at the gate only, and screen switching gets you ejected, so commit to one double feature before you pay. Gates open 7 pm Friday–Saturday, 8 pm Sunday–Thursday; second-feature-only admission is $9; no cooking or grilling in the lot. Seasonal operation, roughly 35–40 minutes from downtown Buffalo; bring a car radio that can idle without draining the battery.
- 📍 Lockport
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 6655 S. Transit Rd, Lockport, NY 14094
Hours: Added 2026-08-25 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Riviera Theatre — The indoor answer to the same question: a 1926 movie palace in North Tonawanda with a Mighty Wurlitzer that traveled four miles from the factory, about twenty minutes from the drive-in lot.
- Eagle House Restaurant — Dinner on the way up — Transit Road runs nearly straight from Williamsville to the drive-in, and the Eagle House has been feeding travelers on that route since the 1830s.
- Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum — A daytime companion in the same Niagara County amusement corridor, and the other place around here where a family business kept old machinery running instead of scrapping it.
More weird in Buffalo
Good to know
Can I book ahead?
No. There are no advance sales of any kind — every ticket is bought at the box office at the gate, the way it has worked since the Cohens took over in 1957. On busy weekends they have sold out as much as 45 minutes before showtime, so arriving early is the whole strategy.
How far is it from Buffalo, and what does it cost?
6655 South Transit Road in Lockport, roughly 35–40 minutes from downtown Buffalo. Admission is $12 for ages 12 and up, $8 for ages 5–11, free for 4 and under, or $9 for the second feature only — and every one of those buys both films on that screen. The theater's number is 716-625-8535.
How does the sound work?
FM stereo, broadcast on a separate frequency for each of the five screens. Tune the car radio, or bring a battery-powered portable if you plan to sit outside in chairs — which also spares you from discovering your car battery's limits at 11:20 pm.
What happens if it rains?
The movie plays. There are no refunds and no rain checks for weather. The single exception is dense fog that makes the screen unwatchable, and passes are issued only to people who kept their ticket stub.
Is there anything to do before dark?
The Greens Under The Screen, a 19-hole mini golf course under the big screen since 1995, at $5 per player, plus a playground and the snack bar. Cooking and grilling in the lot are prohibited, and outside delivery services aren't allowed onto the property.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site
last checked: 2026-08-25