Bill Graham Civic Auditorium facts for kids
Exterior of venue viewed from the City Hall (c.2008)
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 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Location in San Francisco
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Location in California
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| Former names | Exposition Auditorium (1915) San Francisco Civic Auditorium (1916–1992) |
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| Address | 99 Grove St San Francisco, CA 94102-4720 |
| Location | Civic Center |
| Coordinates | 37°46′42″N 122°25′03″W / 37.778457°N 122.417369°W |
| Owner | City of San Francisco |
| Operator | Another Planet Entertainment |
| Capacity | 8,500 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1913 |
| Opened | March 2, 1915 |
| Renovated | 1962–1964, 1989–1990, 1994–1996, 2005, 2010 |
| Construction cost | $1.7 million ($50.3 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | John Galen Howard, Frederick Meyer, John W. Reid, Jr. |
| Tenants | |
| San Francisco Warriors (NBA) (1964–1967) | |
The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is a large building in San Francisco, California. It's a multi-purpose arena, meaning it can be used for many different events. It was once called the San Francisco Civic Auditorium.
The auditorium can hold about 8,500 people. It is named after a famous concert promoter, Bill Graham.
History of the Auditorium
The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium was designed by well-known architects. These included John Galen Howard, Frederick Herman Meyer, and John W. Reid, Jr.. It was built in 1915. This was part of a big event called the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.
Over the years, the auditorium has hosted many important events:
- In 1920, it held the 1920 Democratic National Convention. This is where a major political party chose its candidate for president.
- The San Francisco Opera performed here from 1923 to 1932. They also returned for a season in 1996.
- In 1948, it hosted the National AAU boxing trials.
- From 1964 to 1967, it was home to the San Francisco Warriors basketball team. They are part of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
An underground area called Brooks Hall was added in 1958. It is located just north of the auditorium. The famous "Mother of All Demos" was shown here in 1968. This was a very important presentation about computers. The World Cyber Games 2004, a big video game competition, also took place here.
Renaming the Auditorium
In 1992, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors decided to rename the building. They chose to honor Bill Graham. He was a famous person who organized many rock concerts. He had passed away the year before in a helicopter accident.
Manager Jim Graham
Before Bill Graham, another person named James T. Graham managed the Civic Auditorium. He was in charge from 1954 to 1970. Jim Graham (no relation to Bill Graham) brought many famous performers to the auditorium.
Some of the big names he booked included:
- Elvis Presley (in 1957)
- Judy Garland (in 1961)
- Ray Charles
- The Tijuana Brass
- Donovan
- The Jefferson Airplane (in 1966)
- The Mamas and Papas (in 1966)
- The Temptations and Gladys Knight & the Pips (in 1968)
- Jose Feliciano
- Bobby Darin
Jim Graham also signed the contract for the San Francisco Warriors basketball team. They played their first few seasons at the Civic Auditorium. Later, they moved to a larger place called the Cow Palace.
When Brooks Hall was built underground, Jim Graham also managed that space. He booked many different events there. These included medical conventions and large shows like the Harvest Festival.
Under Jim Graham's leadership, the Civic Auditorium hosted many other events:
- Barnum & Bailey circuses
- The San Francisco Roller Derby
- Golden Gloves Boxing matches
- Professional wrestling
- Ice shows like Holiday on Ice and the Ice Capades
- Car shows
- The International Dog Show
- The Black and White Ball
Important speeches also took place here. President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a speech in 1956. Senator Robert Kennedy, who was running for president, had a fundraising event here in 1968. At that time, the Civic Auditorium was a main spot for big events in San Francisco.
Modern Use
Today, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium still hosts concerts. Many famous artists from different music styles have performed there. The City of San Francisco owns the building. Since 2010, a company called Another Planet Entertainment has managed it.
See also
In Spanish: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium para niños
