If you've ever watched a movie in the trunk of, on the roof of, or in the comfort of your own car at a drive-in movie theater, consider yourself lucky. This is an experience like no other that is, unfortunately, becoming more and more difficult to have.

With the rise in popularity of movie streaming services such as Netflix, people are rarely ever motivated to leave their homes to watch movies anymore. On the rare occasions that people do decide to watch a movie at a theater, they usually prefer an indoor theater so they don't have to worry about the weather ruining their view. This lack of incentive has been slowly putting drive-in movie theaters out of business.

Today, there are less than 350 drive-in movie theaters still operating in the entire country. There are only about 27 drive-in movie theaters left in the entire state of New York. In Massachusetts, the state I grew up in, there are a mere 6 drive-in movie theaters remaining. Many states including Arizona, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wyoming have only 1 drive-in movie theater remaining in-state.

The few theaters that continue to stand strong typically close down around November and may not reopen until Spring or Summer is in full swing. Being closed for this long mean less consistent income for the theaters, making it more difficult for them to stay afloat.

Regardless of how rare they are becoming, watching a movie at a drive-in movie theater is an experience that you don't want to miss out on. There is nothing else quite like watching a movie under the stars with friends and family or on a romantic date.Now, there are two types of drive-in movie theaters. Some theaters provide external speakers for drivers to clip onto their cars, while other theaters have drivers tune their radio to a certain frequency to hear the movie's audio. The clip-on speakers were more difficult to maintain since visitors could accidentally damage them by attempting to pull out of the lot while they were still attached to their car. This issue is why most of the remaining drive-in theaters use the car radio method instead.

A fun perk of attending a drive-in movie is that you often get to see two consecutive films. Not only that, but the cost of the tickets are usually half the price of what you would pay to see one movie at an indoor theater.

There is also a short intermission between the two movies which gives you time to purchase a snack or drink from the concessions building and run to the bathroom. Having this much needed time to refresh makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

Additionally, there usually a greater variety of refreshments at drive-in theaters than those offered at conventional theaters. Rather than having to pick from just popcorn, candy, soda, and nachos, you'll have a whole array of options. My favorite drive-in theater offers everything from appetizers and snacks to candies and desserts and everything in between.

Another fun option at drive-in movie theaters is the ability to arrive early. When I was younger, my family would always try to leave early so that my brother and I would have time to run around and get our energy out before the show. Since you're outside, you could fill your wait time with throwing a frisbee, playing catch, or playing a game of tag. As silly as it may sound, it is good for you to spend some time outside in the fresh air. Some theaters even have playgrounds for kids or a volleyball net for families.

Being in your own car also means that you can snuggle up with a blanket and a pillow without getting the judgmental glares that you might receive at an indoor theater. You could even wear your comfiest pajamas if you're so inclined.

It's not every day that you get to enjoy a movie inside of, on top of, or next to your car. Drive-in movie theaters may not be around forever, so you should make an effort to drive over to your nearest theater before it's too late.