Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre

The Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre in Jefferson is one of Wisconsin’s few surviving classic drive-in movie theaters, first opening in 1953 at the corner of Highways 18 and 89, about two miles west of Jefferson. The single-screen drive-in can accommodate roughly 540 cars and is dominated by its enormous 90-foot-wide outdoor screen (one of the largest screens in Wisconsin), making it one of the most distinctive places to watch a movie in southeastern Wisconsin. Highway 18 also has a notable place in drive-in history: it became Wisconsin’s first digital cinema drive-in, replacing its original 35mm projection system while retaining much of the old-school atmosphere that made the theater memorable.

After closing at the end of the 2024 season, Highway 18 Outdoor Theatre was purchased by Jason Fiege and brought back to life in 2026. The revived theater opened again on May 21, 2026, restoring regular outdoor movie screenings to the Jefferson area. The current format features one screen and double features, with the box office opening at 6:30 p.m. and the first movie beginning after dusk, with the exact start time changing with sunset. The result is a rare combination of Wisconsin history and classic drive-in culture: pull into the lot, settle in beneath the night sky, and watch two movies on a screen that has been part of the Wisconsin landscape for more than 70 years.