El Campanil Theatre keeps Antioch's Rivertown stage alive

El Campanil Theatre gives Antioch’s old Rivertown area a stage with roots. The theater opened on November 1, 1928. It served Antioch and the Diablo Valley at a time when downtown theaters were part movie house, part gathering place, and part local showpiece.

The building’s Spanish name means “the tower of bells.” When it opened, it had about 1,100 seats, a limited stage, and back-of-house space for vaudeville. It also worked as a single-screen cinema.

The Stamm family owned and operated the theater for 75 years, until 2003. A preservation foundation later bought it and began turning it into a community performing arts venue. The first rehab phase was complete in 2004. The theater reopened to the public that year.

Now it is one of Antioch’s clearest links between old downtown and current local culture. A performance there is a night out with a little local history built in. It is also a visit to the part of town that grew around the riverfront, business district, and civic memory.