page_title: Grand Riviera Theater
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Grand Riviera Theater / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Lot where Grand Riviera Theater Detroit (now demolished) once stood
context_page_description: The Grand Riviera Theater was a movie palace theater located at 9222 Grand River Avenue in western Detroit, Michigan. It took its name from Grand River Avenue. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, but was subsequently demolished in June, 1996. The building was removed from the National Register in 2020.
context_section_description: The Grand Riviera cinema was built in 1925, at a cost of over one million dollars. It seated over 3000, and was the first "atmospheric" theater in Detroit, using lighting, special effects, and interior design to make the audience feel like they were sitting outdoors in a garden.
  The theater was immediately successful, and in 1927 an 1,800 seat annex was built. In 1957, the Riviera was converted to a stage theater. When the Fisher Theater reopened in 1960, however, the Grand Riviera took a back seat. The building was used for music concerts until it closed in the mid-1970s. Afterward, the structure deteriorated, to the point that it was considered unsafe and demolished in 1996.
caption: Empty lot where cinema formerly stood
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