The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, Illinois, recently held a private unveiling of the “Twin Centennial” mural that will be installed later this month outside of the historic theater.
Dante DiBartolo’s mural honors both the theater and Route 66, both of which will mark their 100th year in 2026.
The theater showed what the mural looked like in a Facebook post:
According to the Herald-News:
The 10-panel, 40-foot mural will be installed on the left side of the entrance at 102 N. Chicago Street, which is not part of the building’s original construction in 1926, Steve Randich, president of the Rialto Square Theatre Foundation board, said in a February Herald-News story.
This mural was funded by the DCEO/Enjoy Illinois FY22 Route 66 Grant program managed by Heritage Corridor Destinations, according to the Rialto Square Theatre.
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.
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