| A BRIEF HISTORY of the RIALTO THEATRE, RALEIGH, NC |
| 1936 Constructed and opened as an A & P Grocery Store. April 1942 Re-opened as the COLONY THEATRE, which operated continuously as a movie theatre, starting out with mainstream movies and then a brief stink as a martial arts movie house. March 1983 Refurbished and re-opened as the RIALTO THEATRE to exhibit foreign, art, independent and alternative films. January 1992 Renovations begin to restore the worn theatre into the art and movie house it once was. Installation of a State-of-the-Art projection system, a new roof and an overhaul of the HVAC completed. October 1993 Dolby Stereo installed. December 1993 New projection lamp house installed. March 1996 Theatre facade restored, new box office and display cases installed, window boxes restored. November 1996 New carpet, lobby repainted. February 1997 Dolby Digital installed. March 1997 Installation of purlescent screen and acoustically transparent masking. New seats installed in auditorium. |
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| original hand-painted admission sign |
| 1942. |