Walking Mural Tour of Downtown Tucson

History: The Rialto was built by William Curlett & Sons, who also built the Congress Hotel. The theatre opened in 1920, hosting vaudeville acts, live performances and showing some silent films. It was bought by Paramount-Publix in 1929 and began showing talkies– becoming a mainstay in downtown Tucson entertainment for several decades.

The theatre opened in 1920, hosting vaudeville acts, live performances and showing some silent films.

tners, who also own the Little Love Burger, HUB restaurant and the AC Hotel.

Rosewell for two businessmen, this building is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Before becoming apartments, a car dealership and the Hotel Lewis were tenants.

Mural: - “Desert Soul” by ELMAC was painted in 2020. The artist said the figure holding the Saguaro blossom is based on his wife. He said he has been enthralled with Tucson since visiting as a child, and in the 90s and early 00s, he began painting murals in downtown behind the old Chicago Music Store.

History: Garcia painted this large vibrant mural of a woman playing a guitar over another famous mural he’d imagined. In 2016 the muralist had painted NBA legend Bill Walton hanging onto a mythical jackalope that was bucking the superstar around the Rialto’s wall.