Riverside Municipal Auditorium

Riverside Municipal Auditorium and Soldiers' Memorial Building, also known as the Riverside Auditorium and Events Center is an entertainment venue in Riverside, California, United States.[4] It is owned by the City of Riverside, but is privately managed and available to rent for meetings, conventions and social functions.[5] Opened on November 12, 1928, it also serves as a memorial to the 87 servicemembers from Riverside County who died during World War I.[6] This reinforced concrete Mission Revival style building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Address3485 Mission Inn Ave
Riverside, California
United States
OwnerCity of Riverside
OperatorLive Nation[1]
TypeAuditorium
Capacity1,400
Website
www.riversiderma.com
Riverside Municipal Auditorium and Soldiers' Memorial Building
Location in California
Location in United States
Coordinates33°58′55″N 117°22′14″W
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1929[2]
ArchitectArthur Benton, G. Stanley Wilson[2]
Architectural styleMission/Spanish Revival, Moorish, Mexican Colonial
Restored2012
NRHP reference No.78000738[3]
RIVL No.17
Added to NRHPMarch 31, 1978

The building was designed by architect Arthur Benton and continued by G. Stanley Wilson after Benton's death. Both architects also worked on the historic Mission Inn. Surrounded by gardens, fountains and a waterfall, it was built on land donated by Mission Inn proprietor Frank Miller.

Events at the 1,400 seat auditorium range from charity art shows[7] to orchestral performances by the Riverside Philharmonic.[8] George Lopez, Margaret Cho, The Whispers, Jimmy Cliff, California Riverside Ballet, Frankie Beverly and Maze, David Copperfield, The Dickens Festival, Los Lobos, Children's Theatre, and Industrial shows have all headlined the facility.[9]

Renovations began in October 2011 to upgrade the historic facility.[10] The $9.5 million construction included a complete seismic retrofit, as well as new electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems. An improved sound system, a new wooden floor in the main theater, and restored historic auditorium seats were also completed in the one-year construction.

See also

References
  1. City of Riverside. "Riverside Hires Live Nation to Operate Fox Theater, Municipal Auditorium" (Press release).
  2. Riverside Cultural Heritage Board (January 2002). "Landmarks of the City of Riverside" (PDF). City of Riverside. Retrieved 2013-02-28.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. Durian, Hal (November 10, 2007). "Hal Durian's Riverside history column: Soldiers' Memorial Hall". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  5. Robinson, Alicia (June 16, 2010). "Riverside poised to terminate municipal auditorium contract". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  6. Lech, Steve (2007). Riverside 1870–1940. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 978-0-7385-4716-9. OCLC 127273299.
  7. Franko, Vanessa (August 3, 2010). "Sea No Evil art show brings stars to Riverside". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  8. Auerbach, Erin (April 5, 2005). "Dueling symphonies for date". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  9. Rice, Jerry (2008). "From the Annals of an Auditorium". Riverside Magazine. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  10. Stokley, Sandra (October 5, 2012). "Riverside: New look, new name for the Muni". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
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