Rialto Square Theater Celebrates 95 Years Of Entertainment
From vaudeville, to possible demolition, the "Jewel of Joliet" shines bright.
Opened on May 24th, 1926, the Rialto Square Theater is a marvel of early Twentieth-Century theaters in America.
Believe it or not this theater was almost demolished in 1972 and turned into a parking lot. A local resident named Dorothy Mavrich started a “Save the Rialto” campaign and helped raise enough awareness that ownership of property was turned over to the city of Joliet.
Below are so facts about the theater:
- Built in the Neo-Baroque style
- seats 1,966 people
- designed by Rapp & Rapp
- Named to the “150 Great Places in Illinois” list by the American Institute of Architects
- Nicked named “The Jewel of Joliet”
- The Rubens family built and were the only previous owners of the theater
- On the National Register of Historic Places