Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium

Built in 1940 in Mission Revival style, the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium is a 2,015-capacity downtown venue that has hosted everyone from Ray Charles and Bob Dylan to Smashing Pumpkins and the Dalai Lama. The hall made national headlines in 1956 when police shut down a rock and roll dance for what they deemed overly suggestive dancing. A carillon installed in 1963 still chimes from the building's tower. Home to the Santa Cruz County Symphony and a regular stop for national touring acts, the Civic remains the largest dedicated performance venue in Santa Cruz and a cornerstone of the city's cultural life.