Rialto Theatre

The Rialto Theatre got its start in the era of silent films and eventually became a venue for world-renowned entertainers. The legendary theater was built by California-based William Curlett & Son along with the historic Hotel Congress across the street. The district was considered a risky investment at the time. But Tucsonans flocked to the Rialto to see silent films in the 1920s and “talkies” in the 1930s. Vaudeville shows were featured on Wednesday nights. The Rialto, then known as The Paramount, closed in 1963 and reopened in 1971 as Spanish movie theater El Cine Plaza. The Rialto’s modern era started in 2002, when local investors, led by then-Tucson Weekly Publisher Doug Biggers, bought the block except for the theater. As part of the Rio Nuevo project, the City of Tucson purchased the theater in 2004 and leased it to present owner the Rialto Theatre Foundation. The venue hosts more than 200 events attended by more than 100,000 people every year.

PHOTO COURTESY RIALTO THEATRE