Rialto Theatre (El Dorado, Arkansas)


The Rialto Theatre is a historic performing venue at 117 East Cedar Street in downtown El Dorado, Arkansas. Built in 1929 during El Dorado's oil boom years, the theater is one of the best local examples of Classical Revival architecture, and is one of the largest and most elaborately decorated performing spaces in southern Arkansas. It was designed by the local firm of Kolben, Hunter and Boyd, and seats 1400. Its main entrance has Egyptian Revival details, and is flanked by storefronts. The brick of the front facade is laid in a basketweave pattern, and is topped by a stone frieze, cornice, and parapet. The interior of the theater is elaborately decorated. The theater was owned for many years by the McWilliams family. It was closed from 1980 to 1987, and was operated as a three-screen movie theater until 2007. It has since been reconverted for use as a live performance space after being completely empty for several years and serving as a bar for a time.
The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, and included in the El Dorado Commercial Historic District in 2003.