My heart racing, I lay hidden with friends in the back of a wood-paneled station wagon as another teenager in our group steered us through the dimly lit ticket window, purchasing a single ticket. Once clear, and after selecting a parking spot, we shook out a blanket and sat back to relish the warm summer night, our unchaperoned independence and the glow of the larger-than-life outdoor movie screen.

This was in the 1980s, and my memories, of course, are colored by nostalgia. But has anything really changed at drive-ins across America?

Now decades later, I recently visited three drive-in theaters within a few hours of Bozeman, Mont., my hometown. Turning a deaf ear to political broadcasts and concerns about my teenage son’s extreme-sports endeavors, I welcomed the opportunity to attend screenings at the American Dream Drive-In in Powell, Wyo.; the Motor Vu Drive-In in Idaho Falls, Idaho; and the Silver Bow Drive-In in Butte, Mont.

It doesn’t take long to see that no two drive-ins are alike. The American Dream features original 1950s speakers, a vintage auto night and cheese fries. The Motor Vu touts an enormous movie screen (approximately 6,400 square feet), an expansive parking lot (470 spaces) and a packed community night with a bouncy house for kids. The Silver Bow has beautiful mountain views, twin screens and a longstanding place in the community (it opened in 1977).