There are a few ways to watch a film outdoors between Savannah and Charleston, and they could not be less alike. One is a rooftop in downtown Savannah where the screen goes up after sunset and the bar stays open. The other is a three-screen drive-in off Highway 21 that has been running since 1978. In between, the towns put screens on the grass through the warm months and charge nothing.
| Where | Town | When | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Gardens | Charleston | Film nights, check ahead | Free |
| Pendant Terrace, The Drayton Hotel | Savannah | Sundays and Mondays, 9pm | Rooftop bar |
| Hwy 21 Drive-In | Beaufort | Thu–Sun, year round | From $11 |
| Shelter Cove Community Park | Hilton Head | Thursdays, June to August | Free |
| Oscar Frazier, Martin Family and New Riverside parks | Bluffton | Spring series | Free |
| Gahagan Park | Summerville | Summer evenings | Free |
American Gardens, Charleston
- Free
- Open daily 7am to 9pm
- 174 King Street
- Coffee cart Wed to Sun
174 King Street, Charleston SC 29401 · americangardenschs.com · Shopping on King Street in Charleston
This one is new. American Gardens opened in November 2025 and takes up a full city block on King Street — close to an acre of grass, about two hundred mature trees and two tiered fountains, in the middle of downtown.
Film nights run here. The park does not post the schedule on its own site, so it goes up on their social accounts and you are best checking before you walk over. Gates are open every day from 7am to 9pm, which puts a screening early in the evening rather than late.
A coffee cart runs Wednesday to Sunday. Bring something to sit on.
Pendant Terrace, Savannah
- Sundays and Mondays, 9pm
- Rooftop bar and kitchen
- Downtown Savannah
- (912) 662-8900
7 Drayton Street, Savannah GA 31401 · (912) 662-8900 · Pendant Rooftop Bar · The Drayton Hotel
The Drayton Hotel puts a screen up on its rooftop terrace and runs it as a Sunset Cinema, and by the accounts of people who have been it lands on Sunday and Monday nights at nine. The terrace looks straight at the gold dome of City Hall with the Savannah River past it, so the view is doing half the work before anything starts.
It is a working bar with a kitchen rather than a cinema, which sets the shape of the evening: get up there while it is light, eat, and let the film start once the sun has gone. The hotel does not publish the film calendar on its own site, so a phone call is the way to find out what is showing and whether a table needs holding.
Hwy 21 Drive-In, Beaufort
- Thursday to Sunday, year round
- From $11
- Double features Fri and Sat
- Concession stand
- Three screens
55 Parker Drive, Beaufort SC 29906 · (843) 846-4500 · Hwy 21 Drive-In
Three screens on Parker Drive, showing films since 1978 and open every week of the year. Pick a screen, tune the car radio to the frequency on the board, and wait for the light to go — which in midsummer means somewhere near a quarter to nine.
Friday and Saturday are double features, so one admission carries the whole night. Thursday and Sunday run a single film. Admission starts at $11. The concession stand is part of the deal rather than an afterthought, and the queue builds from about seven, so arriving early buys both a good spot on the field and time to eat.
It is about forty minutes from Bluffton and ninety from Charleston.
Shelter Cove Community Park, Hilton Head
- Thursdays, June to August
- Free
- Restaurants next door
- Shelter Cove Lane
39 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island SC 29928 · (843) 341-4600 · Shelter Cove park page
Free family films on the grass on Thursday evenings through the summer, with the marsh behind the lawn. Bring a low chair or a blanket. Most people carry dinner in from the Towne Centre restaurants beside the park rather than pack it.
Bluffton and Summerville
- Free
- Town parks
- Warm months
Bluffton runs its free series across three parks in the spring — Oscar Frazier, Martin Family and New Riverside — with games and inflatables before the film and the screen going on at dusk. The town comes back to Dubois Park in December for a screening timed to the tree lighting.
Closest to Charleston is Gahagan Park in Summerville, about forty minutes out, which the town uses for evening events through the warmer months. Both towns set their dates season by season, so the parks and recreation pages are where the current list lives: Bluffton and Summerville.
Questions
Which one is open in winter?
Hwy 21 runs Thursday to Sunday every week of the year. The park series are warm-weather only, and Bluffton adds a December screening at Dubois Park alongside the tree lighting.
Can I bring my own food?
To the parks, yes, and most people do. The drive-in runs a concession stand and prefers you use it. The Pendant is a bar with a kitchen, so you eat what they serve.
What do I need to bring?
A low chair or a blanket for the parks — a tall chair blocks the row behind. For the drive-in, a radio that works, and something warm once the sun is properly down.
Which is closest to Charleston?
Gahagan Park in Summerville, about forty minutes. The drive-in is about ninety.