Today in SCV History, May 25, 1966, the Mustang Drive-In theater flickered to life for the first time in what was then a quiet stretch of Soledad Canyon Road. 

Nestled in the rural area known as Honby, now part of modern-day Canyon Country, the drive-in became a beloved local landmark and a nostalgic piece of Santa Clarita Valley history.

Located at 21021 Soledad Canyon Road on land owned by The Newhall Land and Farming Company, the Mustang was built during a golden era of drive-in movie theaters. 

At the time, the surrounding area was sparsely developed, with few traffic signals and wide stretches of open road between the communities of Saugus and Canyon Country. The concept of “Canyon Country” as we know it today didn’t yet exist, Honby was still recognized by the name of its historic railroad stop.

The Mustang’s grand opening featured a double billing of Last of the Secret Agents? starring Marty Allen and Night of the Grizzly starring Clint Walker. 

For nearly two decades, the Mustang Drive-In operated as a cultural touchstone in the Santa Clarita Valley. But as the region grew and development expanded, the land became more valuable for commercial use. The theater closed in October 1984 and was demolished in 1986 to make way for a small business park.

In December 1987, just a year after the theater was razed, the newly incorporated City of Santa Clarita established its first temporary administrative headquarters at the very site where the Mustang once stood. 

Eventually, city operations moved to the Valencia National Bank building on Valencia Boulevard, but the site of the old drive-in remains a notable chapter in the city’s origin story.

Today, no physical trace of the Mustang Drive-In remains, but its memory still echoes for longtime residents who remember summer nights filled with headlights, popcorn, and the glow of the big screen against the backdrop of the Santa Clarita hills.

To read yesterday’s SCV History, click HERE.

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