Coyote Drive-In Fort Worth announced that it will permanently close its doors. Its final day of operation set for Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026. After 14 years the throw-back form of entertainment was sill going strong. But, the land is sits on, has long been plain and its closure makes way for progress on Fort Worth’s long-anticipated Central City Flood Control Project to move forward.
Drive-In movies were a staple of the 50s and 60s, but the last one in Fort Worth closed in the mid-1980s. That was The Cowtown Drive-In. Then, in 2013, a nostalgic throwback arrived, thanks to a lease of the land by its owner, the Tarrant Regional Water District (TRWD). The property became a local favorite with spectacular views and downtown Fort Worth as its backdrop.
“When we opened Coyote Drive-In, we hoped to create more than just a place to watch movies; we wanted to create a place where families and friends could come together and make lasting memories,” says Glenn Solomon, managing partner of Coyote Drive-In Fort Worth.
“We have been incredibly fortunate to be part of the Fort Worth community and the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, and we are deeply grateful to the hundreds of thousands of guests who chose to spend their evenings with us over the years.”
Coyote Drive-In has made good use of the land, with its four screens, rows of parking for up to 1300 cars, and a central concession hub known as Coyote Canteen. The Drive-In has been the perfect placeholder for the past 14 years.
But as the Trinity River Vision project reaches a major milestone, with plans to begin construction this fall, the land lease must now end.
According to a release, “Under the terms of Coyote Drive-In’s original lease agreement … the lease would conclude once the District began its long-planned construction of two new canals and a three-acre park on the property.”
One of Fort Worth’s great amenities is the Trinity River. But the waterway that meanders throughout the city brings with it the danger of serious flooding. One major flood occurred in 1922, and another, which is still etched into the memory of those who lived through it, swallowed much of West Seventh and the Museum District in May of 1949.
The current levee system elevated the banks of the Trinity River for added safety in the 1960s. But with the continued growth of Fort Worth, now the 10th largest in the nation, the Corps of Engineers proposed a bypass channel system to alleviate future risk. It is known as the Central City Flood Control Project.
That is part of the larger Trinity River Vision, which was shepherded by our former Mayor and Congresswoman Kay Granger, who just recently passed on August 2.
Since opening, Coyote Drive-In has welcomed movie lovers of all ages, they say. The grounds have hosted community events and offered a unique entertainment experience, blending a nostalgic drive-in with modern amenities. For instance, Omni Hotels hosted a screening of Back to the Future in celebration of America’s 250th Fourth of July last month.
Solomon thanked the drive-in’s loyal customers, employees, business partners, and the Fort Worth community for supporting Coyote from the beginning. “Your support made Coyote Drive-In what it became, and we will always be thankful for the role you played in our success,” he says.
It’s the end of an era. Guests are encouraged to visit the drive-in before its final night on Monday, September 7, to enjoy one last movie under the stars and say farewell to the Fort Worth tradition.
