Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Shrine Auditorium
Construction
The Shrine Auditorium
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Location	665 W. Jefferson Blvd Los Angeles, California
Public transit	Jefferson/USC
Owner	Al Malaikah Auditorium Company
Type	Indoor theater
Capacity	6,300
Built	1925
Opened	1926
Renovated	2002
Construction cost	$2.7 million
Website
shrineauditorium.com


Al Malaikah Temple
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area Location in California Show map of California Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Architect	John C. Austin
Architectural style	Moorish Revival
NRHP reference No.	87000577
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 2, 1987

The Shrine Auditorium is a famous building in Los Angeles, California. It's a big place where many events happen. It's also the main office for the Al Malaikah Temple, which is part of a group called the Shriners. The Shrine Auditorium is considered an important historical place in Los Angeles.

History of the Shrine Auditorium
- How the Shrine Auditorium Started
- Modern Upgrades and Look
About the Building
Events at the Shrine Auditorium
Images for kids
See also

History of the Shrine Auditorium

How the Shrine Auditorium Started

The Shrine Auditorium you see today opened in 1926. Before that, there was an older building from 1906. Sadly, that first building was destroyed by a big fire on January 11, 1920. The fire burned it down in just 30 minutes.

In the late 1960s, people who went to rock concerts there sometimes called the Shrine "The Pinnacle." This means they thought it was the best place for concerts.

Modern Upgrades and Look

In 2002, the auditorium got a huge upgrade that cost $15 million. This renovation made the stage much better with new lights and equipment. They also added new roofs and air conditioning. The snack stands were updated, and more restrooms were added. The whole building complex looks like it's from Morocco, with a special style of architecture.

About the Building

Design and Size of the Auditorium

The new Shrine Auditorium was designed in a special style called Moorish Revival architecture. This style looks like buildings from North Africa and the Middle East. The main architect was G. Albert Lansburgh, with help from John C. Austin and A. M. Edelman.

When it was first built, the auditorium was huge! It could hold 1,200 people on the stage and seat 6,442 people in the audience. An engineer who worked on the project said the steel support for the balcony was the biggest ever made at that time.

Today, the Shrine Auditorium seats about 6,300 people. Its stage is very wide, about 194 feet (59 meters), and 69 feet (21 meters) deep.

Seating Areas

The auditorium has special seating areas:

Two "boxes" above the main floor, each holding 40 people.
Seven "loges" on the balcony, holding between 36 and 47 seats each.
Most of the seats are on the main floor (2,964 seats) and the balcony (2,982 seats).

Shrine Exposition Hall

Next to the Auditorium is the Shrine Exposition Hall. This is another large space used for many different events. It has about 54,000 square feet (5,000 square meters) of space for exhibits and meetings. The main floor has 34,000 square feet, and there's an upper level with 20,000 square feet.

The Exposition Hall can hold up to 5,000 people. Many events take place here, like trade shows, big dinners, conventions, and even electronic music festivals.

Events at the Shrine Auditorium

The Shrine Auditorium has hosted many famous events, especially in entertainment.

Awards Shows

The Shrine Auditorium is famous for hosting many major awards ceremonies:

Awards ceremony events
Event	Dates Hosted
Academy Awards (The Oscars)	1947–48, 1988–1989, 1991, 1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001
American Music Awards	1982–2006
BET Awards	2006–2012
Grammy Awards	1978–1980, 1982–1987, 1989–1990, 1993, 1995–1996, 1999
iHeartRadio Music Awards	2014–2015, 2022
Miss Universe	2006
MTV Movie & TV Awards	2001–2003, 2005, 2017
NAACP Image Awards	2006–2013
People's Choice Awards	2001–2003, 2006–2009
Primetime Emmy Awards	1998–2000, 2002-2007
Screen Actors Guild Awards	1998–2020
Soul Train Music Awards	1989–2001

Sports Events

The Shrine Auditorium has also been a place for sports:

Sports events
Event	Details
USC Trojans basketball	Was the home court for 33 years.
Los Angeles Lakers playoff games	Hosted some games for a short time.

Movie Filming and Premieres

The Shrine Auditorium has been featured in movies and hosted big movie premieres:

Movie shootings and premieres
Movie	Year	Description
King Kong	1933	Scenes where Kong was shown on stage.
A Star Is Born	1954	Some parts of the movie were filmed here.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi	2017	The very first showing (world premiere) happened here.
A Star Is Born	2018	The final scene was filmed at the Shrine as a tribute to the 1954 movie.

Music Concerts and Recordings

Many famous musicians have performed or recorded at the Shrine:

Music events and recordings
Date	Artist or Event	Description
May 1949	Art Tatum	A solo piano performance was recorded here.
1955	The Great Shrine Auditorium Concert	A very important gospel music event with artists like Sam Cooke.
8 June 1956	Elvis Presley	Elvis Presley's first concert at the Shrine.
3 August 1958	The Fourteenth Cavalcade of Jazz	Featured famous artists like Ray Charles and Sam Cooke.
1964	Ray Charles	Recorded his live album Live in Concert here.
24 August 1968	The Grateful Dead	Recorded their live album Two from the Vault here.
24 January 1975	Genesis	A live performance was recorded and released later.
20 December 2019	My Chemical Romance	A special reunion concert after seven years.