Aurora drive-in theater hits the market

A drive-in theater doing business for more than half a century has been listed on the market.

Sunset Drive-In in Aurora, a business founded in 1951, was listed for sale last week at an asking price of $500,000, according to the listing from Verus Network.

Larry Marks, who has owned and operated the theater for decades, said the business is not in danger of closing should a buyer not be found.

"I’ve been doing this for 50-some years, and I guess I can go on for a few more," he said.

Marks started working at Sunset Drive-In in 1965 as a high school senior and purchased the theater in 1977, according to the company's website.

A May 24 Facebook post announcing the listing indicates the property has a main building with a projection room and other features, box office and 300 parking spaces.

In a 2015 Springfield Business Journal article featuring the Aurora business, industry officials pointed to a steep decline in drive-in theaters since the industry’s peak of roughly 4,300 in 1957.