Rio Theater

20396 Bohemian Highway,
Monte Rio, CA 95462

Unfavorite No one has favorited this theater yet

Additional Info

Functions: Movies

Styles: Quonset Hut

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 707.865.0836
Manager: 707.865.0836

Nearby Theaters

News About This Theater

Rio, 1982

This theater was built in 1950 with a World War II surplus Quonset hut. It has been in operation since 1950 and the inside auditorium ceiling is draped with the largest piece of Cristo’s Running Fence in existence. The walls (inside and out) are decorated with hand painted murals from local resident artists. It is definitely a one of a kind theater with a mom and pop atmosphere.

Contributed by Suzi and Don Schaffert

Recent comments (view all 14 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on February 12, 2009 at 4:24 pm

The July 9, 1949, issue of Boxoffice magazine published an item saying that the Rio Theatre in Monte Rio had recently opened. Owners of the 500 seat independent house were S.A. Bartlett and S.A. Bartlett Jr., formerly operators of a theater in Grass Valley.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 17, 2011 at 5:07 pm

Google Maps is way off on this theater’s location. Searching at Google Maps' own web site, the address 20396 Church Street fetches the correct location. That’s the address Google will have to be sent, even though the theater itself lists Bohemian Highway as the name of its street. I managed to find the Street View of the theater and update it, but it was a really long drive, at the corner of D Street a mile or more north of the location of the pin on the map.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on July 17, 2011 at 5:32 pm

I’ve just realized that if you use the pavement arrow in Street View to move two clicks left, a thumbnail photo will appear, and if you click that thumbnail it will display the photo, plus thumbnails for more than a dozen additional photos of Monte Rio, including several more depicting the theater. The photos include links to their sources, which look better and can often be further enlarged.

Mikeyisirish
Mikeyisirish on June 27, 2012 at 10:23 am

A few 2012 photos can be seen here, here and here.

russellquinn
russellquinn on April 30, 2013 at 5:58 pm

Only 6 days to save this movie theater. Pledge today! Save the Rio! http://www.savetherio.com

stevenj
stevenj on February 28, 2019 at 7:45 pm

From helicopter or drone TV coverage of the Russian River flood that I saw this evening on local (SF) news this theatre appears to be inundated.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on August 28, 2023 at 7:47 pm

Despite surviving a flood, the next big threat is that the theatre and adjacent property are for sale. Story here

You must login before making a comment.

New Comment

Subscribe Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.