IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) - The owner of two drive-in movie theaters in Idaho Falls has decided to turn the projectors off and keep the gates locked this summer season.

And that leaves drive-in buffs like Sarah and Jerod Browning with two options: Get their drive-in fix by traveling to another town or finding other affordable entertainment options for the family.

The Brownings say loading their children and lawn chairs into the pickup truck and heading out for a doubleheader at the Sky-Vu or Motor Vue drive-ins has long been a rite of summer, and an affordable one. Last year, it cost $12 for the whole family to watch to two movies at either of the city's drive-ins.

As a result, the family is cutting back on movies as prices at the indoor cinemas pinch the family pocketbook, Sarah Browning said.

"We can't really afford to go … and take the kids and enjoy it," she told The Post-Register.

It's unclear why the city's two drive-ins are closed this summer.

Owner Misty Hunter said several people have inquired about the theaters, but she doesn't intend to shift course and open them the rest of the year. She declined to give a reason for the closures.

Nationally, drive-in theater owners have faced difficult times the past three decades as entertainment options have exploded.

With the advent of watching movies at home or on laptops and other electronic devices, the competition for entertainment dollars has intensified, said D. Edward Vogel, administrative secretary for the United States Drive-In Theatre Owners Association.

The number of drive-ins peaked in the late 1950s, with more than 4,000. More than a thousand theaters closed between 1978-1988, and the numbers continued to dwindle until the late 1990s.

But Vogel said those still open may have weathered the storm. As of July 2007, the most recent statistics available, the industry tallied 383 drive-ins nationwide.

"Unfortunately, that's about a 10th of what it once was," he said. "At least we're holding steady. About as many close as open up each year."

With both Idaho Falls drive-ins closed, outdoor movie fans have drive-in opportunities in Driggs or Soda Springs. Elsewhere in Idaho, there are drive-in theaters operating in Caldwell, Parma, Grangeville and two in Twin Falls.

At The Spud Drive-In in Driggs, business is brisk, said Dawnelle Wood, who owns the drive-in with her husband. Still, the couple has the drive-in up for sale.

The couple's ready to retire after 21 years of ownership, Wood said.

"Business has tripled since back then," she said. "This year it's down a little bit, but I attribute that to the economy. We've never seen a down year, year after year after year."

Information from: Post Register, http://www.postregister.com