<a rel="attachment wp-att-1797" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/09/admiral-twin-drive-in-burns/dsc_0752/"><img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1797" title="Admiral Twin" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/DSC_0752-500x332.jpg" alt="Admiral Twin" width="500" height="332" /></a>

TDT isn't in the breaking news business, but today presented a sad exception to the rule.

Today the Admiral Twin Drive-In Theater, a relic of 1950s automobile culture and one of Tulsa's prized pieces of Americana, burned to the ground.

From <a href="http://www.krmg.com/">KRMG</a>:
<blockquote>The smoke plume could be seen for miles...A cause is not immediately known. The theater looks to be a total loss.</blockquote>
Tulsa's  local news stations have video and photos:

<a href="http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=13098236">KOTV Channel 6</a>
<a href="http://www.ktul.com/Global/story.asp?S=13098286">KTUL Channel 8</a>
<a href="http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/admiral-twin-drive-in-on-fire">KJRH Channel 2</a>
<a href="http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Admiral-Twin-Drive-In-Has-Burnt-Down/UL4ZTX8mhEqF8CYl9WOz9w.cspx">FOX 23</a>

<a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=371&amp;articleid=20100903_11_0_Police608960">Tulsa World brings an interview with owner Blake Smith</a>, along with information on the history of the attraction.

From a TW quote from Smith:
<blockquote>"There is no insurance on that tower...what was the Admiral Twin Drive-in is no more....right now, the future does not look good for the Admiral Twin Drive-in.”</blockquote>
<strong>For the best source of the most up-to-date information on this story, </strong><a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23admiraltwin"><strong>keep tabs on the #AdmiralTwin hashtag</strong></a><strong> on Twitter</strong>, where news stations as well as individuals will continue to post updates and links to continued coverage.

AFTERMATH//

<a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Admiral-Twin-Drive-in/152452301439952">Save the Admiral Twin page on Facebook gains hundreds of "likes" in just over an hour</a>...

<a href="http://www.boomtowntees.com/products/admiral-twin">A portion of the proceeds of the sale of Admiral Twin t-shirts from Boomtown Tees benefit Select Cinemas, which operated Admiral Twin Drive-In</a>. Right now the t-shirt shop's website reports that the shirt is unavailable, but there might still be shirts in the store, at 114 S. Elgin Ave. Get 'em while they're hot.

Our last trip to Admiral Twin was in early July. My husband and I went with our son to see Toy Story 2, an experience that echoed my first trip to the drive-in with my own parents in the '90s. My memories of Admiral Twin in between these two trips include high school dates, date stories from my parents and grandparents and even a video shoot since I started blogging here at TashaDoesTulsa.com in which I got to learn how to thread the film for a movie on one the Twin's giant projectors.

This is a sad day for native and adopted Tulsans alike, many of whom have Admiral Twin stories of their own. Share yours in the comments.