Kaiser Convention Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kaiser Convention Center
circa 1917
Former names	Oakland Civic Auditorium (1914-84)
General information
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
Location	10 10th Street, Oakland, California
Address	10 10th St.
Completed	1914
Design and construction
Architect	John J. Donovan
Invalid designation
Designated:	1979
Reference #:	27

The Kaiser Convention Center is an old, important building in Oakland, California. It's owned by the public and can be used for many different things. Inside, it has a big arena with seats for over 5,000 people, a large theater, and a huge ballroom. This building is so special that it's listed as an Oakland Historic Landmark (number 27). It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

A Look Back: The Center's History

This beautiful building was finished in 1914. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style, which is a fancy way of saying it looks grand and classic. The person who designed it was an architect named John J. Donovan.

When it first opened, it was called the Oakland Civic Auditorium. Later, in 1984, it was updated and renamed to honor Henry J. Kaiser. He was a very important person in Oakland's history.

In 2006, the city decided to close the building. For about ten years, no one was sure what would happen to it. People in Oakland even voted on whether to turn part of it into a library, but the idea didn't pass.

The city owned the building until 2011. Then, it was sold to a local group that helps improve areas. But that group was later closed down by the state in 2012. So, the building went back to being owned by the city of Oakland.

In 2015, the city picked a local company to fix up the building. They thought about using the ground floor for a business, like a company that makes things or a brewery. The second floor might become offices. The Calvin Simmons Theater inside the center will also be fixed up to be a theater again.

Where to Find the Center

The Kaiser Convention Center is located at 10 10th Street. It's in an area of Oakland called the Civic Center district. It's right next to the Oakland Museum and Laney College. It's also very close to Lake Merritt and the Lake Merritt BART train station.

Exciting Events at the Center

The Kaiser Convention Center has seen many famous and interesting events over the years.

Circus and Roller Derby Fun

For many years, until 1941, the Kaiser Arena was home to the famous Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Imagine all the clowns, acrobats, and animals! After that, the circus moved to other places.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the exciting sport of Roller Derby was played there hundreds of times. The arena also hosted the Oakland Symphony Orchestra until 1972. In 1996, it was even home to the Oakland Skates roller hockey team.

The Christmas Pageant Tradition

For almost 70 years, from 1919 to 1987, the arena hosted a wonderful annual Christmas Pageant. Later, it was called the Oakland Children's Holiday Pageant. Over 1,700 young people from 70 city schools took part! A professional dancer and teacher named Louise Jorgensen would visit each school. She trained the children to perform as elves, toys, poinsettias, or fairies.

Famous Performers and Speakers

Many famous people have performed or spoken at the center:

• Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," performed there on June 3, 1956, and again on October 27, 1957.
• On December 28, 1962, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech to 7,000 people. He spoke about the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which helped free enslaved people.
• Ike & Tina Turner performed at the Oakland Auditorium on January 13, 1967.
• The famous American rock band, the Grateful Dead, played at the Convention Center 57 times between 1967 and 1989. They even started doing "runs" of shows, playing for three to seven days in a row!
• On November 30, 1979, Bob Marley and the Wailers played there as part of their Survival Tour.
• On August 6, 1988, the arena hosted a wrestling event called the Great American Bash.
• From 1997 to 1999, the University of California, Berkeley's women's basketball team played their games there. This was while their usual home, Haas Pavilion, was being fixed up.

Community Actions

In January 2012, a group called Occupy Oakland marched to the facility. They wanted to take back the empty building for the community. However, police stopped them. This event led to many arrests and costs for the city.

Images for kids

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  Oakland Civic Auditorium around 1917

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  The Auditorium was used as a temporary hospital during the 1918 flu pandemic.