If you are looking for a new way to spend a weekday evening this summer, I urge you to join us at Old Bethpage Village Restoration, where we have revived a tradition that enjoyed particular favor in the mid-20th-century - the drive-in movie! Yes, Old Bethpage Village Restoration is transformed into an open-air, old-fashioned drive-in movie theater every Tuesday at dusk.

By day, Old Bethpage Village Restoration (OBVR) provides a window into 19th-century life on Long Island. But on Tuesday nights, OBVR's big screen provides plenty of punch for families, with a mix of nine action and comedy blockbusters. The screen is located in the parking lot near the entrance of Old Bethpage Village and can accommodate approximately 500 cars. However, there is now a concession to newer technology: rather than clipping a small speaker to the car window as in the old days, viewers have the sound transmitted via their car FM radio.

Drive-in movies began operating in the U.S. in 1933, with the first one in New York opening on Long Island in Valley Stream in 1938, according to "driveinmovie.com." The number of drive-ins peaked in the late 1950s at more than 4,000 before beginning a long decline. Long Island's last drive-in movie theater, the Westbury Drive-In Theater on Brush Hollow Road, closed in 1998. Drive-in movies are a distinct part of Long Island's entertainment history and for thousands of Long Islanders they evoke a very warm, nostalgic feeling, and this program at Old Bethpage allows Long Islanders of all ages to relive that tradition and enjoy some terrific films.

The fee per car is $20, and the schedule and times of the movies for the rest of the summer are as follows: July 22, Rocky Balboa (8:45 p.m.); July 29, Talladega Nights (8:30 p.m.); Aug. 5, The Mummy (8:20 p.m.); Aug. 12, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan (8:15 p.m.); Aug. 19, Hairspray (8:10 p.m.); and Aug. 26: Terminator II (8 p.m.).

When you're not enjoying a movie and some popcorn on Tuesday evenings, Old Bethpage Village Restoration provides visitors with a unique and wonderful opportunity to step back in time and experience life in a recreated mid-19th-century American village set on more than 200 acres. Regular hours are Wedndesday through Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. During regular hours, entrance fees are $7 for children 5 to 12 (those under 5 are free), seniors and volunteer firefighters; and $10 for adults. OBVR is located on Round Swamp Road in Old Bethpage; for more information, call 516-572-8400.

For more information about the Parks Department, visit www.nassaucountyny.gov/parks or call 516-572-0200.