Goochland Drive-In sold to new owners, preserving local landmark

The Goochland Drive-In’s new owners say one of Goochland County’s best-known night-out spots will stay affordable, even as James and Kathryn Munsey take over a landmark that has drawn families, couples and summer crowds since 2009.

The sale closed March 12, 2026, with the Munseys paying $1.1 million for the theater’s real estate, along with the business assets and 10 acres at 4344 Old Fredericksburg Road in Hadensville. The drive-in sits just off Interstate 64 between Richmond and Charlottesville, a location that has helped turn it into a regional destination as well as a local tradition.

For regular customers, the clearest message is continuity. The Munseys said prices will stay the same, the snack bar will keep serving the mix people already expect, and the theater’s core experience will remain recognizable. That matters in a place where a night out can quickly get expensive, especially for families trying to stretch summer budgets.

The theater’s website says tickets must be bought in advance online, with gates, the snack bar, the playground and pre-show entertainment opening two hours before showtime. Its concession stand offers classic American fare along with gluten-free and meat-free options, including popcorn, hamburgers, vegan items and ice cream. Outside food, drinks, containers and alcohol are not allowed, reinforcing the drive-in’s focus on on-site concession sales to support the business.

The Goochland Drive-In opened Aug. 28, 2009, with a sold-out crowd, and added a second screen, The Grove, in April 2018. It now has room for about 400 cars, making it one of the few hundred drive-ins still operating nationwide and, by some accounts, the only one on Virginia’s eastern side. The venue operates seasonally, generally from March through October, which makes each warm-weather stretch especially important for moviegoers and the broader local tourism economy.

The Munseys also plan to add more events, more pre-show activities and expanded dessert offerings, a sign they want to build on the theater’s draw without stripping away the nostalgia that made it a destination in the first place. For Goochland, that combination could help preserve a rare kind of family business while keeping traffic moving to a landmark that still pulls people off I-64 for an open-air movie under the sky.