Rio Theatre
6983 Main Street,
Frisco,
TX
75034
6983 Main Street,
Frisco,
TX
75034
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Previous Names: Gem Theatre
Nearby Theaters
The Gem Theatre was opened by 1950. It was later renamed Rio Theatre and was destroyed by fire in 1956. Only the facade survived and that has been reused by a Masonic Lodge built on the site.
Contributed by
Ken Roe
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 3 comments)
This was later known as the Rio Theatre before ending its life in a 1956 fire. People have to go to neighboring McKinney to watch movies afterward. The exact address is 6983 Main St, Frisco, TX 75034.
A Masonic Lodge has been erected behind the brick facade at that address.
The May 16, 1956 issue of Motion Picture Exhibitor said that “Fire destroyed the Rio, Frisco, Tex., with an estimated loss of $15,000. C. E. Barnes is owner and operator.
I believe the photo above actually depicts the aftermath of an earlier fire, which destroyed a wooden building that housed the original Frisco Theatre that had opened in 1915. It was rebuilt in brick and opened as the Queen Theatre. After closing in the early days of the depression, the house reopened in 1935 as the second Frisco Theater, which was later renamed the Gem and finally the Rio. The Rio was only gutted by the 1956 fire but never reopened, but the building was restored for use as the Masonic lodge.
The gist of this story can be found on this Facebook post from the Frisco Parks and Recreation Department.