Rio Theatre
6983 Main Street,
Frisco,
TX
75034
6983 Main Street,
Frisco,
TX
75034
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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.
A Masonic Lodge has been erected behind the brick facade at that address.
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.