The Highway 18 Outdoor Movie Theater will once again be revived by a new owner after fears over its closure.
At the end of the 2024 summer movie season, the Highway 18 Theater (W6423 Highway 18, Jefferson) was closed by its owner, Lee Burgess.
The drive in theater was originally built in 1953, and Burgess had spent decades helping restore the theater and bring keeps all of its glorious mid-century charm in tact.
However, after the 2023 season, he put the business up for sale after 23 years of dedication to the theater.
Lee originally listed the property for sale at $595,000, citing that he wanted to spend more time with his grandkids and he knew it was time to pass the property off to someone else.
Without the Highway 18 Theater, Wisconsin only had 8 drive in theaters operating. It also left southeast Wisconsin without a drive in theater apart from the Milky Way Drive In at the Ballpark Commons in Franklin.
However, last weekend, Wayne Hayes Real Estate, LLC. announced that the Highway 18 Outdoor Theater will be reopening under new ownership.
The group announced that they had spent months working diligently to secure the theater’s sale.
The new owner is listed as Jason Fiege, who bought the property from Burgess. Fiege plans on opening the theater next season for the summer of 2026.
The classic piece of Americana has been saved and will live on for another season thanks to the sale, put together by the listing agent Barry Luce and Wayne Hayes real estate agent Steve Mode.
When the theater first opened in 1953 by local Walter Baier, drive in theaters were at their peak. At the height of Highway 18’s peak, the theater could accommodate up to 500 cars and served movie fans from all throughout the state.
In the 1970s and 1980s, drive in theaters fell out of popularity. The declining interest heavily impacted Highway 18’s financial success.
The theater ultimately filed for bankruptcy and closed. It was reopened in 1999 as a passion project for Burgess.
In 2011, he installed a digital projector and continued to update the property while simultaneously maintaining its mid-century charm. He put special care into keeping the neon signage and traditional speaker poles on the property.
Movie fans can prepare for an upcoming summer of popcorn and fun flicks under the stars.
