Scott Bonn, Ph.D. is a criminology professor, TV news commentator, public speaker and author. He is an expert on the behavior and the motivations of criminals. I often hear his name of the Serial Killers podcast I listen to on Spotify and just recently finished reading his book "Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World's Most Savage Murderers". When I saw him on the news giving an interview and they mentioned he would be 'in Chicago", I jumped at the chance to get a ticket to see him live. Welp, much to my dismay, he was not going to be in Chicago but Joliet. Well, I bit the bullet, got a ticket, and decided to go anyway. The Rialto is located in what I assume is the downtown area...the reason I say assume is that this is the first time I have been to Joliet. Since I arrived at 7:30 pm, it was dark and not much foot traffic beyond people parking to go to the theater. There was a parking lot about a two blocks from the theater at the cross street and it was free. The theatre was designed by Marshall & Fox, who also designed the Blackstone Theatre (now the Merle Reskin), the Blackstone Hotel and the Drake Hotel. Walking inside, you can definitely tell that these guys did the work as there was a familiarity to the Chicago buildings mentioned. The interior is very ornate and pretty. There were several vendors in the main lobby serving drinks (no bubbles, just still wines), cocktails and beer. You could take the drinks in with you to the theater. There was this huge Duchess chandelier in the rotunda and a lot of cream-colored marble walls in the lobby. The theater itself was so lovely. The seats looks wide enough where you could be comfortable. The reason I say this is that a lot of entertainment venues built back in the day had very narrow and uncomfortable seats. Because I had tickets in the front row of the orchestra pit, they had stand alone seats there, but they were padded and comfortable. I loved seeing the red velvet curtains and looking up to the ceiling, there was this ornate plateau of what appeared to be The Birth of Venus, based on the Italian artist Sandro Botticelli. The presentation itself was nice and insightful. I am fascinated with serial killers from the perspective of the psychology of why they do what they do, and Dr. Scott Bonn did not disappoint. Although a lot of the basics he spoke on I was already aware of, it was great to here about his person insights into his dealings with BKT (Dennis Rader)and Son of Sam. The irony was not lost on me that quite a few of these killers associate with Christianity in terms of being involved in churches. Bonn mentioned that Son of Sam (David Berkowitz )was now Son of Hope and a self-proclaimed minister who was being embraced by quite a few people. Couldn't wrap my mind around that at all. Bonn also spoke about Bryan Christopher Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. Bonn mentioned that he felt that Kohberger had the potential to become a serial killer had he not been caught. Bonn also mentioned that the number of serial killers has been on the declined over the years, with the numbers as high as over 800 in the 80s. The advances in DNA testing as well as technology/knowledge had stopped potential serial killers in their tracks before they got started. The staff were all very cordial and helpful. Overall experience was a good one as I liked the feel of the theater. There would have to be someone performing here that I absolutely would want to see before coming back here due to the distance but would absolutely do so. read more

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I saw Buddy Guy at Rialto Square Theatre the other week and really liked this venue! I'd always been curious about this theater the few times I had driven by it so I was excited to check it out. Upon entering the lobby you can see how elegant and beautiful the building is. My wife and I decided to look up at the theater ceiling before the show just to admire the architecture. The acoustics were great and we heard everything perfectly. I'll definitely be back! read more

The Rialto is a very beautiful, original old theater. Nearly 100 years old now I believe. I've seen many concerts and stand up comedians here and the sound is always very good. There really isn't a bad seat in the house. Love this theater and can't wait to go back for another concert. It certainly is a Joliet Gem. read more

Beautiful historic architecture in the heart of downtown Joliet! We have been to many shows here and we love it. The staff is top notch, they are always friendly and helpful and you always feel welcome. read more

I attended the Motown Christmas Concert and it was amazing! They gave the theater a 2 million dollar renovation and it looks amazing! read more

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Went to see one of my fave female comedians - Iliza Schlesinger!!! Ali Wong would be great here vs. the Chicago Theater. Anywho, I digress... Pretty Theater, very conveniently located in downtown area, and free community parking lot is located 2 blocks away. SO much nicer than the hassle and expense it would be in Chicago. Interesting area, might be fun to explore in the future prior to another show. It felt like a small town you would find in another state, or kinda like St. Charles, very neat architecture - almost from another era, like the 1950s. The theater is easy to navigate, and the seating is comfortable and roomy. Interiro is very elegant and from the "box" seats. nice view and private area, not in any squished row... at about the 11th row distance from the stage. read more

Rialto Square Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

They would not honor tickets that were purchased thru Ticketmaster for an event. The young manager would not tell us why and walked away telling us to buy tickets at the box office. The box office lady took a face time call on her cell phone in the middle of "helping us". Spent 200 and they would not even honor tickets read more

We had a great experience on March 22nd for the Burton Cummings concert. The seats were fantastic, the performance was fantastic, the employees, specifically Cindy, were fantastic. I'm looking forward to attending the next concert at Rialto Square Theatre. read more

Not sure how we had never been to the Rialto before, It was a bit of a drive for us but well worth it. It is very easy to get to and there is parking nearby. The theatre is beautifully restored and very ornate. There is lots of room and the theatre area has great sight lines. It is a great size, not too small and not too large. The seats are comfortable and you don't feel cramped. They get a good variety of acts there. After our first time there recently we have been back a few times and I gladly see anyone there. There are many venues in the area but this may be my favorite read more

Went here for a recent concert. Had never been to the Rialto before -- what a beautiful venue!! There's hardly a bad seat in the house. We arrived earlier than expected, but there was a bit of a pre-concert with someone playing Christmas music on the massive pipe organ. It was definitely worth arriving early. read more

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It's an old venue but beautifully designed. Went to see a comedian and sat in the first row of the balcony for a great view of the entire show. read more

It's a beautiful, original theater with great sight lines and even better acoustics. There's not a bad seat in the house and it's close to home. So you can enjoy a night out and still get home at a reasonable hour. read more

I'm almost struggling to find words with how amazing the Rialto Square Theatre is. It's one of the most stunning theaters I've ever seen, and I live in the land of grand movie palaces, Los Angeles. The pictures do not do it justice. As my husband put it he didn't know he had a dream wedding until he stepped into the space. And then there is Nancy. She is a queen. She made our day so perfect, so special, she held our hands through it all and is an absolute pro. I feel like everyone should be so lucky to have a Nancy on their big day. read more

Rialto Square Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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We got married at this beautiful theatre and had the most amazing experience! Besides the venue being absolutely stunning, Nancy there was a dream to work with. She was very organized and gave us so many great ideas on how to use the space and what kind of decoration would be cool. Her experience in helping make weddings happen at the Rialto alone was incredible. Planning a wedding from across the US could have been hard, but Nancy made the experience seamless. She worked with our caterer to ensure the linen and food set up was perfect. She let us drop off some decorations early so we didn't have to bring it all day of. She was such an important person for our special day! The staff was incredible as well. We had an open bar and they made sure myself and the groom always had a drink. So many guests told us how beautiful our venue was during and after the wedding. We definitely gave them a unique experience. Absolutely recommend this place for a wedding! read more

What a great venue! And the organ! Sounds amazing and then disappeared into the floor! We had seats almost on the back row and it's so small that every seat is primo! read more

Joliet should be very proud. This is an absolutely beautiful theater. So happy to see places like this restored and cared for. A jewel for not only Joliet but for the State of Illinois! read more

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We went here for the Josh Turner concert and NO ONE was wearing masks. No enforcement, dirty looks with us wearing our masks, no consideration of the health and safety of others. Go here at your own risk. read more

Love this place with one exception. Was just there for Three Dog Night concert. Mid and treble were not directed to balcony seating. It sounded muffled. I can't speak for the mezzanine. Please consider the directional sound to the balcony. For an audiophile it is very important. read more

Rialto Square Theatre - Performing Arts Near Me - Joliet, Illinois

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Beautiful theater with long history, Originally a vaudeville theater, During the 40's many of the big bands preformed here, later in the 60's and 70's was used primarily as a move theater. Eventually restored. Now hosts a variety of entertainment. Plus can be rented for private events such as weddings. The theater also has its original Barton Carol pipe organ. The organ sounds fantastic with ranks of pipes located on either side of the stage, giving a stereo type of sound. The theater is not only incredible looking, the acoustics inside are fantastic. There is plenty of parking available There Is a small public lot directly across the street and a large public parking deck also across the street but is accessed from Ottowa street a block west of the theater. At most events beverages including alcoholic beverages and some light snacks are sold. Also a coat check available at most events. This is a great place to attend an event If you have not been here before Arrive early so you can walk around and view the interior of the theater and lobby. read more

Really nice for a cheap and small venue. There is parking across the street and there is a parking garage. Beautiful architecture and the staff is so nice. They have expensive concessions but oh well what do you expect. They have $5 movies once a month there and it is a fun thing to do with family. Rialto is in a fairly safe area. The only bad thing is every time I go to downtown Joliet, these 2 homeless people harass you asking for pennies and cigarettes. It's fine to just go to Rialto but watch out walking around there because the homeless do chase you. read more

Horrible. Only place i had tickets for that won't refund due to Covid. Rescheduled for 13 Months later in a day of the week I can't go due to work and they're keeping my money for both tickets. Also asked what precautions they're taking for covid like social distancing and requiring masks and they won't respond. Horrible business. Non existent customer service & won't refund. Even the airlines refunded me and numerous other venues. Ridiculous. read more

The Rialto is a very beautiful theater. The acoustics are wonderful as we saw Tony Bennett and he actually sang one song acoustically without his microphone and we heard him in the balcony. Getting to the Rialto is easy and there is a parking garage a half block away. Getting into the theater and then into our section and seats was very time consuming. The line outside was long to get into the building as the staff stood just inside the doors to scan tickets. I think the older volunteers were just s-l-o-w. It took about 20 minutes to get to our seats. We were not given a program for the show either. I understand they are volunteers, but they need to be trained better in moving people through the theater quicker and making sure they are given a program. They were still sitting people when the show began. The seats themselves were very cramped with little room between rows. The women's restroom on the second was clean, but the size (4 stalls) was ridiculous for the amount of seating in the balcony area. That is a huge problem when there is a long line and you have to go! The theater, again, is so beautiful and I think it's a great place to see a musical or show. Just know that you should give yourself plenty of time before the start of whatever event you see to move through the theater to your seat and gauge your bathroom needs as it might be difficult to use the facilities with the number of patrons. I would attempt to go to another show and be particular where I sat (i.e., aisle to get out quickly to the bathroom and to one side of the stage where the bathroom is located). This theater is really a jewel with its beauty. read more

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The Rialto was the perfect venue for my amazing wedding September 2017. It has to be one of the most beautiful places in Joliet. We had a cocktail hour on the stage where our guests felt like stars. We then were allowed to have our guests sit while our bridal party did all speeches on the stage. For dinner our guests were brought into the most beautiful set up room in the rotunda. We spent all night dancing and enjoying the theatre space. Nancy took the time to sit with myself, my now husband, and our mothers to go through all wedding logistics and work out the perfect plan for our wedding day. She and the Rialto volunteers did a wonderful job of making our 300 guests feel welcome. She worked with our vendors and went above and beyond making sure the venue was all set. I could not say enough wonderful things about the Rialto. I highly suggest anyone looking for a unique and beautiful wedding to visit the Rialto Theatre in Joliet. read more

What a beautiful venue for a concert! The Rialto is definitely the Jewel of Joliet and we have some thoughts about this gorgeous theater: Why are people video taping concerts and using cell phones , which annoys the people around you!?? Rialto , please make a concerted effort to tell patrons they are NOT allowed to use their cell phones for any reasons during the performances! Movie theaters enforce this rule, why can't the Rialto, for which we paid over $60 a ticket to see Pat Benatar last night. A weak reference to cell phone use was made at the beginning of the performance... clearly not adhered to as people around us were not only videotaping, they were checking photos, email, and Facebook around us. I got up and complained to an usher, who dutifully walked down one aisle and spoke to one person. Once he was gone, her phone lit up again!!! During Benatars tribute to the Woman's Movement, three Women sitting next to me decided to have a conversation about the photos on their phones. It was exasperating! Rialto, please change your policies about cell phones and provide more training to your ushers. I realize they are volunteers, however, it can still be accomplished if you make a concerted effort to man the isles and make sure that the rules are enforced. read more

Largest Chandelier in North America, Beautiful Theater The Rialto Square Theatre in downtown Joliet, IL is a gem. This beautiful theatre began life as a movie palace with a gorgeous pipe organ and hosted Vaudeville stage acts. Today the Rialto is big enough to attract big names and host private events year round. But it is small enough that every seat is close to the stage. Tickets are often half the price of Chicago theaters and you sit closer. This classic theater along Historic Route 66 has a mirrored lobby designed like Versailles. The main floor, balcony and ceiling create great acoustics giving great sound quality. And the Duchess Chandelier is the largest in North America. (See photos.) Call ahead to see about a guided tour. The Rialto is just a block away from Harrah's Casino with good rooms and food for cheap. See rialtosquare.com for schedules of events and concerts. read more

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Let me just say Rialto Square Theatre was nothing short of AMAZINGGG! I just got married here on 08/18/2018 and let me tell you...from start to finish everything was PERFECT! I want to say how amazing of a person Nancy was to work with. Every question i had (and i had many) and every detail i wanted she made come to life! She answered my questions the same day if not the day after. She was so so great to work with and im very lucky i had her to help me with everything. Planning a wedding at Rialto was very customized to everything I wanted because you have to book with a vendor to get everything. I worked with Mike from Polonia Catering for the food and they were GREAT to work with as well. They made sure everything i wanted came to life on my magical day. Walking in to my wedding on my big day was nothing short of a fairy tail. My guests are still talking about how BEAUTIFUL the place was. No one had ever seen anything like it. There is no need for many decorations because the place speaks for itself. its BREATHTAKING. To say Rialto Square Theatre wasn't a dream i would be lying. NANCY YOU ARE TRULY AMAZING and i cant thank you enough for making my day, the best day of my life. read more

Very beautiful but dated theater. The lights went down early and it was dangerous to try to get seated. The seats are tiny and rows are narrow. If you are taller than 5'10" and heavier than 150... read more

We went to the tour and organ concert on the 90th anniversary of the Rialto. It truly is a beautifully restored theater. The only downside was that the docent was not very good. She was nice, but rather poorly trained and had very little information to share. Another problem was that the crowd was so large, that we were broken up into three groups. The coordination poorly executed. Dispite these issues, it was still wonderful to see the theater, and to be able to go backstage, in the basement, etc. I would recommend the theater as a venue and the guided tour, but I would suggest calling ahead to make sure the docent was an experienced one. read more

I had an awful experience. I purchased tickets and they weren't what was advertised at all. I had a hard time hearing and seeing in the balcony. Then the customer service that I got was rude and gave me the runaround. Then they blamed me for the screw up and wouldn't give me a refund. Its a beautiful theatre but it will be a long time before I try to go back there, ever!! read more

Great venue but found it very frustrating to get a drink prior to the show. We found a short bar line - four couples in front of us but soon realized that Star members went to the front of the line. After twenty minutes of not moving, one group after another walked to the front of the line, ordered drinks for themselves and others at the back of our non-star line. We were there for a fun evening and started out frustrated and a bit angry that we paid for tickets but were treated poorly. I felt sorry for the bartender who was taking the heat from folks in our non-star line. I understand star members pay/donate to the theater which is great. Maybe a separate lounge with a wait staff would be a better plan. The show was awesome and the theater was beautiful. Too bad the poor service set the tone for the evening. read more

Saw Lisa Lampanelli there 5/4 and I was blown away with the absolute beauty of this place. What a charming place to see a show. The town doesn't disappoint either just make sure you make restaurant reservations 1st before making the hour drive from the city read more

One of the most architecturally beautiful theaters. Always a good show. Sound is excellent and the staff is outstanding! The volunteers beam with pride over the "Jewel of Joliet". Always worth the ticket price! The theater has been under new managements and board of directors since the beginning of 2017 and you can really see the improvements. Check out the schedule online...you won't be disappointed. read more

When we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted to get married somewhere grand and spectacular. We wanted something that fit us, two actors, so a theatre seemed to be the perfect fit. When I first saw pictures of The Rialto Square Theatre online, I was in tears at how beautiful and perfect it felt for our day. The moment we stepped inside the rotunda, we knew it was the location for our dream wedding. Nancy Lindmark, the coordinator, was absolutely fantastic from day one. She was so helpful, offering tips on the best way to use the reception space, seating tickets, and encouraged us to take time to have a private dinner just the 2 of us after the ceremony - which is one of the best decisions we made on the day of our wedding. If you want to use the stage for your wedding ceremony, as we did, Lisa (the stage manager) and her crew made sure everything was perfect - lights, sound, and my hubby even got to enter using the pit! Which is now one of my favorite memories from the day. The Rialto Square Theatre was the perfect setting for the beginning of the next chapter to our love story. We loved that we could have our ceremony and reception in the same venue, that there was ample parking for our guests, open bar service included in our package, and most of all we loved how stunningly beautiful the space is. We wanted our wedding to be a night to remember, not just for us, but our guests as well. We have received so many compliments on what a beautiful venue we chose, and couldn't be happier with how the day went. read more

I will NEVER go back to this theater, no matter who is performing or what is showing. I have been there for a few shows before. The last time I went I took my 2 month old and was told the day of the show that I had to buy a full price ticket for her. Rosemont nor United Center have the audacity to charge for an infant! My daughter slept through the whole show, as expected. And if that wasn't bad enough, the staff, a manager, was extremely rude when telling me about the policy. Never ever again. read more

This place is pretty, didn't think such a place existed in the burbs! Went to see Adam Carolla at this place and loved it. There is no parking unfortunately, only street parking :(. But Can't wait to come back again to see Buddy Guy & Johnny Lang in March. :) read more

Beautiful Venue, Nancy is wonderful to work with!

Went there for a Billy Idol concert and got suckered into getting the "Suite Life" for $30/ticket. It basically gives you 3 "free" drinks and some appetizer food before the show PLUS you get half off drink prices during the show. My comment to you is STOCK UP immediately!!! Went to get our "half off" drinks during the show and they were shutting down ONE HOUR into the show. Wow! Pretty sad. Yes, you save some $$ by getting this, but it left a very bad taste with me when they literally shut down 1 hour into the show. My suggestion, DON'T get the "Suite Life" because it's just a ploy. To take full advantage, get there as soon as doors open, stock up, and drink up. Bring drinks back to seat and have them lined up. Or just sell to other patrons read more