The Grand Riviera Theatre in Detroit, Michigan, was once a beautiful theatre at the northwest corner of Grand River Avenue and Riviera Street. It served the public for generations before it was closed and later demolished in 1999.

The Grand Riviera Theatre Company built it and designed it by John Eberson in an Italian Renaissance style. Its spectacular auditorium, which looked like an outdoor courtyard, opened on August 25, 1925. The theatre has a seating capacity of 2,773.

The Grand Riviera Theatre Company opened the venue with the following dedication:

“To the people of Detroit and to their children and to their children’s children; that through the years it may lighten the cares of life’s vicissitudes with wholesome laughter; that they may drink the innocent inspirations of music; that they may wrap themselves in the soft cloak of the arts and revel in decent recreation against the humdrum routine of mundane existence … to them and for this does the Grand Riviera Theatre Management dedicate this beautiful temple of play.”

The four-story octagonal corner entrance tower and vertical marquee that boldly spelled out the theater’s name over Grand River Avenue were distinctive features of the exterior. The interior was lavishly furnished, and its soaring lobby was stunning, complete with a grand marble staircase and three great arched windows over its front doors. The auditorium was decorated like an outdoor Mediterranean garden.

On opening night, the program featured the film Desert Flower, complete with an orchestra, pipe organ, and a choir. The Grand Riviera continued for several years as a combined motion picture and vaudeville house before changing to a picture-only policy as sound pictures arrived and vaudeville declined. In the early 1930s, the “Grand” was removed from its name and was afterward known as the Riviera Theatre.

In 1952, the theater was sold and would change hands several times afterward. From 1957 to 1961, stage shows replaced movies at the theater, which featured many noted entertainers as well as touring companies from several top Broadway musical shows. After the rebuilding of another downtown theater that featured live entertainers in 1962, the Grand Riviera returned to motion pictures, for which its location and acoustics were better suited.

In time, the theatre’s productivity followed the decline of the neighborhood, and it closed. From 1969 until 1974, the Riviera Theatre was used for music concerts and afterward closed its doors. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. However, the building fell into disrepair over the years, and by the 1990s, it was in sad shape. In June 1996, the unique movie palace was demolished. Once standing at 9222 Grand River Avenue, a social security office now sits at the site.

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2024.

Also See:

Destinations of America

Lost Landmarks & Vanished Sites

Old City Hall, Detroit, MI

Vanished Sites Photo Gallery

Sources:

Cinema Treasures
Library of Congress
Wikipedia