The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, next month will install a 40-foot-long mural that honors that historic venue and Route 66, both of which will be marking their centennial in 2026.
The Herald-News reports the Route 66 Rialto Twin Centennial Mural will be placed on the left side of the theater’s entrance. Artist Dante DiBartolo of Joliet designed the mural.
Randich said the foundation board discussed the possibility of the mural several years ago when Bob Navarro, current CEO of Heritage Corridor Convention and Visitors Bureau, was on the Rialto Square Theatre Foundation board.
“A lot of people who come for Route 66 walk down downtown,” Randich said. “Unfortunately, the theater is not open every day. People who come to the theater are not able to enjoy being on the inside.”
Navarro said his office recently received $1.5 million of the $4 million from the FY22 Route 66 Grant program, administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Office of Tourism, to be used for various local projects.
The grant was able to fund quite a few projects, including the mural, Navarro said. Randich said the Rialto received $85,000 to pay for the mural.
The Rubens brothers opened the $2 million theater on May 24, 1926 — a few months before U.S. 66 became federally certified.
The Rialto, located at 102 N. Chicago St. (aka Route 66), underwent a major restoration during the 1980s.
The Rialto also sits just a block away from the historic Lincoln Highway.
(Image of Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, via Facebook)