in will host its final screenings this weekend, plans to open new location in 2026 – Houston Public Media

After more than 18 years of operation, the Showboat Drive-in Theater located in Hockley, a small town in northwest Harris County, will be showing its final screenings this Saturday night.

The announcement was made earlier this month on the company's that Saturday, Sept. 14, would be the final night of operation for the theater. The company said the Hockley location would be closing due to the sale of the property but that the theater already has plans in place to relocate.

"Thank you for all of the many wonderful memories over the years," the statement said. "We have found a new piece of land tucked further away from the hustle and bustle of the rapidly developing area we currently inhabit. We look forward to beginning construction on the new location in 2025 with a plan to open in [the] Spring of 2026."

This Friday and Saturday night, the theater will show two double features on both screens beginning at 8:30 p.m. Both nights will feature the same two sets of films: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and "Trap", and "Deadpool & Wolverine" and "Twisters."

Since the theater first opened in 2005, the greater Houston area's urban sprawl has spread further into the surrounding communities and suburbs. Last week, the owner of the Showboat Drive-in, Andrew Thomas told the Houston Chronicle that they decided to sell the 32-acre property to save costs following a decline in Hollywood productions.

The new location will be somewhere on the south side of Houston and Thompson said the company is potentially looking at additional locations.