The Sinking Spring Drive-In, which opened in 1955, was the third in Berks to be built in the post-World War II heyday of America's love affair with the car. When it was built by Fabian and Jay Emanuel Theaters, its owners said the screen, 86 feet high and 142 feet wide, was the largest in the world. It contained a 6,700-square-foot parking area capable of accommodating more than 1,000 cars. Located on the south side of Route 422 traffic driving eastbound on Route 422 from Wernersville could see the screen for nearly a half a mile away. There was a patio between the projection room and the concession stand where there were dances, contests and outdoor seating for the movies. On Tuesday, March 24, 1998, crews took a wrecking ball to the massive 1950s-era Sinking Spring Drive-In theater screen, once billed as the largest in the world, along Route 422 in South Heidelberg Township. Before it was razed, the site of the Sinking Spring Drive-In was used for a flea market on weekends. The site of the former Sinking Spring Drive-In was used for the construction of more than 85,000 square feet of retail space, including a 51,000-square-foot Redner’s.
