Barry Horowitz said he was surprised the first time he saw it not too long ago: a car pulling into his Poughkeepsie drive-in movie theater, the afternoon sun still high in the sky, the occupants snapping photos of the grassy field and free-standing screen as if they were historical artifacts. But through the years, Mr. Horowitz has become numb to the sight, and has watched as more of his business drives in from Connecticut or New Jersey — as opposed to locally in Poughkeepsie — traveling hours to experience the novelty of the all-but-forgotten drive-in double feature.

“Oh sure, they come through all the time,” Mr. Horowitz said during a recent early morning interview, only a few hours after he had projected “The Simpsons Movie” to a sold-out crowd. “They can’t believe there’s a drive-in still in existence.”

That said, perhaps no one is more surprised about the endurance of his two venues — the Hyde Park Drive-In in Hyde Park (www.hydeparkdrivein.com) and the Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie (www.overlookdrivein.com), both about 90 minutes north of Manhattan — than Mr. Horowitz himself. For 43 years, he has managed both theaters, and in recent years he has personally confronted many of the same financial crises that have driven so many of America’s drive-in operators out of business. Just as revenues have become stagnant, the 64-year-old Mr. Horowitz said a confluence of skyrocketing taxes and the changing buying habits of his customers — especially a preference for newer films, a tendency to stay home and watch films on big-screen televisions, and less disposable cash to spend on excursions to the movies — have brought him to the brink of financial ruin.

Several years ago, plans were unveiled for a local water treatment center, and Mr. Horowitz’s property was reassessed. Seemingly overnight, the value of his Hyde Park location exploded, from approximately $200,000 to a final figure just shy of $2 million. Of course, the resulting tax burden left him and his family feeling as if they had a “gun held to their head.” With tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes, he said he started negotiating with a developer who intended to buy the land and put up a commercial strip, including such big-box stores as Wal-Mart. But at the last moment, Mr. Horowitz’s field and screen were purchased instead by an organization called Scenic Hudson, a firm with the mission of working “to protect and restore the Hudson River and its majestic landscape” as a “national treasure” for both residents and visitors.

“Our motivation was to protect and enhance the setting for the FDR historical site, and our understanding was that the drive-in owner was marketing the property to someone who intended to build a big box store,” Scenic Hudson’s senior vice president, Steve Rosenberg, said. “We thought that would be a blight on the landscape.” For about $2.2 million, Mr. Rosenberg said his organization purchased the land and leased it back to Mr. Horowitz to operate as the Hyde Park Drive-In on a year-to-year lease — a lease that expires next month. Today, neither are sure if the theater will be back in business next spring.

All of which makes Hyde Park one of the region’s more remarkable film venues. Preserved by an outside organization determined to fight off a high-rolling developer and a national big-box chain, it is in many ways an anomaly on the landscape — a doomed drive-in, revived through an unlikely subsidy, a tourist draw for visitors from across the Northeast.

After all the legal battles he has fought in recent years, Mr. Horowitz seems equally frustrated, exhausted, and relieved to still be running the drive-in theater that has for so long been a fixture in his life. But he’s also aware of the economic factors that are destroying businesses of this kind.

In the old days, he said, the drive-in was a popular weekly draw for several reasons. People didn’t Furthermore, heR said, as cars have gotten larger and been replaced by minivans and SUVs, Hyde Park can now accommodate only 500 vehicles where 700 used to fit. At the Overlook Drive-In, which sits in a floodplain and has spent some time under water this year, Mr. Horowitz said he can no longer afford flood insurance to cover water-damaged equipment.

Even modern radio technology, which Mr. Horowitz said has offered a drastic improvement in drive-in sound, has its disadvantages: With more rain in recent years, mosquitoes have become a nuisance, and with more people sitting outside their cars, listening on portable radios as they occupy two spots, fewer vehicles can squeeze into the field.

But, says Mr. Rosenberg, who took his children to a drive-in showing of “The Simpsons Movie” only two weeks ago, the drive-in experience is as enjoyable as ever.

“I took my children, and we enjoyed it tremendously,” he said. “And clearly there’s interest in drive-ins, as you can see when people talk so warmly about them. But what’s not clear is whether as many people are going anymore. They have a soft spot in their hearts, but there are so many other entertainment options out there competing for people’s time. We’re really grappling with the question. The rent we receive for the drive-in doesn’t cover the taxes on the property.”

After four decades, Mr. Horowitz shares many of the same sentiments — aware of how much his local fans and the scores of nostalgic tourists enjoy the drive-in experience, but also aware of the business pressures that have made such a model archaic.

“I don’t think you’ll ever see a resurgence of drive-ins,” he said. “Down south, where drive-ins can operate 12 months a year, or with owners that have some other way of generating revenue, then maybe. We have people who thank us for staying open, and we’re trying the best we can, and the Overlook will be open forever [because of the floodplain], but as for Hyde Park, you hope that they continue the lease.”

“But it’s neither here nor there,” he said. “It’s up to them.”

ssnyder@nysun.com

SHOWTIMES This weekend, the Hyde Park Drive-In shows “Rush Hour 3,” paired with “Hairspray.” Next weekend, “Rush Hour 3” is tentatively scheduled to screen with “Ratatouille.”

This weekend, the Overlook Drive-In shows “The Bourne Ultimatum,” paired with “The Simpsons Movie.”

Next weekend, the theater is tentatively scheduled to show “The Invasion” with “Underdog.”

The phone information line for Hyde Park is 845-229-4738; the information line for the Overlook Drive-In is 845-452-3445.

DIRECTIONS Via train: Metro North to Poughkeepsie.

By car: Henry Hudson Parkway to the Sawmill River Parkway to the Taconic Parkway (North.) Exit at Route 52 or 55 east or west. Or, take I-87 north (New York State Throughway) to Exit 17 at Newburgh to I-84 east to Route 9 (North).