Redondo Pavilion: the Ballroom & the Pavilion Theatre

S. El Paseo at Emerald St. Redondo Beach, CA 90277 | map |

Opened: July 1, 1907 as the Redondo Pavilion. That date was a preview for dignitaries. The public opening was July 4. It was also known as the Redondo Auditorium and the Pavilion Auditorium. The postcard is one that appears in the Redondo Beach section of the site Penny Postcards from California.

The building contained shops, restaurants and a ground floor film theatre called the Pavilion Theater. The seating capacity is unknown. It's listed as being there in the 1912/13 city directory. The closing date of the theatre is unknown, as are details of its programming. The theatre entrance was via the arch at the middle of the facade.

On the second floor was a 4,000 capacity ballroom. The ballroom was later known as the Mandarin Ballroom and, beginning in April 1946, as a Western music venue called Texas Jim's Redondo Barn. In 1950 Jim left and it was just called the Redondo Barn.

Architect: Edward C. Kent

Thanks to Douglas Thompson for locating this item that appeared in the Redondo Reflex on February 17, 1907. He also located a February 27, 1907 L.A. Times article headed "Huntington Says O.K." The O.K. was necessary for the project of a new Plunge, Casino and Pavilion to begin. The Times story:

"Work Begins Upon Redondo Pavilion and Bath-house...The long contemplated new pavilion and plunge is about to be a fact. The proposition forwarded to Mr. Huntington for his approbation was accepted and Redondo is to have a $50,000 pavilion, and a $40,000 plunge, work to commence immediately. The work of tearing out the old [Casino] building was started today, when Manager Burnett of the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company, who has been a most ardent exponent of these improvements, pulled off the first board toward demolishing the old buildings.

"All buildings will be razed south of wharf No 1 on the ocean-front, including the surf bath-house. This space will be occupied by the new pavilion, a new casino, costing in the neighborhood of $20,000, to be built by M. Mayer, and the new bath-house, which will be arranged for both surf and plunge bathing. These buildings will be entirely separated from each other, but the architecture will harmonize."

Douglas adds that one of those buildings removed from the waterfront to make way for the new construction was the town's first public library, an institution which didn't find a new home until 1909. 

Construction workers on the Pavilion project in 1907. Thanks to Douglas Thompson for sharing the photo. 

Just south of the Pavilion was the Casino, which also opened in 1907. It had to be rebuilt after the first version caught fire on June 28, intended to be the building's opening day. In 1912 it was remodeled into a film house, the Capitol Theatre.

And south of the Casino was the saltwater Plunge, also referred to as the Bathhouse, which opened in 1909. The pools there were heated by a Pacific Electric generating plant. The Plunge was demolished in 1941 and the site became a parking lot to handle the crowds at the Pavilion's ballroom. All of these amusement buildings were commissioned by Henry Huntington and designed as attractions to stimulate business for his Red Car line running along the coast.

A June 29, 1907 L.A. Times article about a fire next door at the Casino commented on the new Pavilion: 

"The 140 workmen employed on the amusement pavilion are rushing to have that in readiness for the opening...The building represents an outlay of between $65,000 and $70,000. It is to be 20[sic] x 168 feet, and its first floor frontage on the street is divided into twenty stores, all engaged, and to be opened next week. There is a handsome auditorium, 180 x 144 feet, with a beechwood floor, and a deep gallery. A commodious café will find place on the first floor."  

Status: The Pavilion was demolished in December 1960. The El Paseo is now under water. The area was dredged to form a new harbor in 1961.


The entrance to the Pavilion Theater: 

Looking north toward the theatre entrance. It's a card that appears with Sam Gnerre's fine 2011 South Bay Daily Breeze article "The Redondo Barn."

The C.C. Pierce photo the card was based on. It's from the California Historical Society and appears on the USC Digital Library website.

A detail from the C.C. Pierce photo. The sandwich board advised that there would be a performance at 7:30 and admission would be 10 cents and 15 cents. 

Another view down the colonnade toward the Pavilion Theatre entrance. This card was on eBay with the seller noting that it had a 1909 postmark. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for spotting this one on the site.

The Ballroom: 

A fine view of the second floor ballroom. Thanks to Ron Felsing for posting this one on Flickr. He's still on the platform but the card seems to have vanished from there. Card Cow has a version on theitr site with a 1910 postmark. 


More exterior views: 

June 28, 1907 - It was supposed to be the opening day for the new Casino, on the left. The fire was confined to that building and the Pavilion, on the right, was able to open on schedule two days later. Note the scaffolding still up on the building. Thanks to Douglas Thompson for locating this photo that was taken by Redondo photographers Worrall & Crummer. It's in the collection of the Redondo Beach Library from the Redondo Beach Historical Museum.

c.1907 - An early postcard view that appeared on eBay. Thanks to Michelle Gerdes for spotting it on the site.

c.1907 - Wharf #1, the pier between the north end of the Pavilion and the Bracewell & Rosecrans warehouse. At least that's what Douglas Thompson says he calls it, although the tenants undoubtedly changed over the years. In the center of the image is the steamer the State of California. It's a California Historical Society photo appearing on the USC Digital Library website. Note the "Casino" sign on the building at the right. Perhaps at the time of the photo the new Casino building south of the Pavilion wasn't yet open.

Douglas comments on Mr. Rosecrans: "He was the Civil War general who moved to the South Bay and became a major property owner. He was nominated as Lincoln's running mate in 1864 but Secretary of War Stanton controlled all telegrams for serving officers and he simply threw it away. A year later Andew Johnson was president instead."

c.1907 - A postcard made from the photo in the California Historical Society collection. Thanks to Douglas Thompson for locating it. It's from the Redondo Beach Public Library, John Moon collection. Douglas comments: "Unfortunately, the State of California had a miserable end as it hit an uncharted rock and sank off the coast of Juneau, Alaska in 1913 with the loss of 40 lives."

c.1908 - The Redondo Pavilion with the Casino beyond. At the far left there's no sign yet of the Bathhouse. It's a California Historical Society photo appearing on the USC Digital Library website.

c.1908 - A detail of the Casino from the California Historical Society photo. Note the "Redondo Pavilion" lettering above the entrance arch and check out all the stud lighting. That little sign at the right side of the entrance is for the building's movie theatre.

c.1909 - A view from the pier of a bit of the Pavilion plus the Casino and Bathhouse. The latter appears to be still under construction. Note the scaffolding. It's a photo from the Los Angeles Public Library collection.

c.1910 - A postcard view of the back of the three buildings. It once popped up on eBay.

c.1910 - A look out to the pier north of the building. The card is from the Redondo Beach section of the site Penny Postcards from California.

c.1910 - A look in from the pier. It's a card that was on a now-vanished Redondo Beach Landmarks site that was hosted on Earthlink. 

c.1910 - A view south down the tracks toward Newport Beach. The Pavilion is at the right with the Casino and Bathhouse farther left left. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo for a post on the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

c.1910 - Thanks to Realtors Maureen and Bruce Megowan for this postcard, one appearing in the fine South Bay History section of their website. 

c.1910 - The photo the card above was based on. It's a photo from the files of the South Bay Daily Breeze that appears with Sam Gnerre's 2011 article "The Redondo Barn."

c.1910 - A fine panoramic view of the Paseo from the Library of Congress collection. The Pavilion / Auditorium is in the center with the Casino to the left. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating it. David Kimbrough also includes it with many other views in a post about Redondo Beach on the Southern California Nostalgia Facebook group.

c.1910 - A postcard from the Redondo Beach section of the site Penny Postcards from California.

c.1910 - A moonlight postcard view with the dark hulk of the Casino in the middle between the nicely lit Bathhouse and Auditorium. The card was on eBay.

c.1920 - A view north from Penny Postcards from California. Note that they've added stairs outside the front entrance to get to the ballroom without having to go inside to the main entry hall.

c.1920 - A view looking north. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for finding the photo. 

c.1923 - Looking south along the Pavilion toward the Capitol Theatre and the Bathhouse beyond. It's a postcard by Mission Art Company that's in the California State Library collection.

c.1925 - Looking south on Pacific Ave. with the Paseo on the right. That's the Garland Hotel straight ahead. It's a California Historical Society photo on the USC Digital Library website.

c.1925 - Looking north on Pacific Ave. The card was a find by Ken McIntyre. Maureen Magowan, in her "History of Redondo Beach," discusses Redondo's first roller coaster: "One of the popular tourist attractions was The Redondo Beach 'Lightning Racer' roller coaster which had two parallel tracks. In cars traveling over 6,000 feet of track, riders had the sensation of racing those in the adjoining car. First opened to the public in 1913, the 'Lightning Racer' was located on the beach just north of old Wharf One (and today’s Municipal Pier). Severely damaged by an extreme storm on April 30, 1915, the coaster was demolished."

Douglas Thompson adds that this wasn't the end of the story for coaster enthusiasts. He notes that the coaster was immediately rebuilt and running from the summer season of 1915 to about 1923. It was closed due to safety concerns and a new coaster on the same site opened in 1924 and ran until 1931 with demolition in 1933. In its second incarnation it was called the "Giant Dipper." For a fine discussion of Redondo's two coasters (or three, depending on how you're counting) see Sam Gnerre's 2019 Daily Breeze article "South Bay's roller coaster was a hit 100 years ago in Redondo Beach." 

Thanks to Douglas for locating the article. He also found a July 1, 1919 clip from British Pathé showing the coaster in the background as people are dumping alcohol into the water. "Booze and Patriotism don't mix" says a sign on one of the barrels. 

c.1925 - A postcard view of the theatre and Pavilion beyond. It was a find on eBay.

1927 - A pageant in front of the Pavilion. The photo appears on the website of the City of Redondo Beach with the link on their photo page identified as "Beauty Show."

1928 - A view showing the "Giant Dipper" and to the right, (where Wharf #1 had been) one end of the "Endless Pier" (1916-1928), the Pavilion, the sloped roof of the Casino/Capitol Theatre, the bathhouse, and the Monstad Pier (sticking straight out, 1928-present). Thanks to Sam Gnerre for including the photo in his 2019 Daily Breeze article "South Bay's roller coaster was a hit 100 years ago in Redondo Beach." He credits the photo to a now-vanished Nostalgic Amusement Parks Facebook page.

1938 - Looking down Pacific Ave. toward the Pavilion. It's a Los Angeles Public Library photo. 

1957 - A look north along Pacific toward the Fox Redondo, straight ahead. Over on the left is the Redondo Pavilion. At this point the ballroom was called the Redondo Barn. Thanks to Ron Felsing for posting the photo on Flickr.

1961 - Looking south to the area where the Bathhouse, Capitol Theatre and Pavilion had once been. It was dredged for a new marina area as part of the King Harbor development. It's a South Bay Daily Breeze photo taken from on the roof of the Fox Redondo that appeared with Sam Gnerre's 2011 article "The Redondo Barn."

More information: Check out the Arcadia Publishing book "Redondo Beach Pier" by Jennifer Krintz. There's a preview on Google Books. There's a history page about the city on the website of the City of Redondo Beach.

See Sam Gnerre's 2011 Daily Breeze article "The Redondo Barn" about the Pavilion and its ballroom. Realtors Maureen and Bruce Megowan have some great material in the South Bay History section of their website.

Douglas Thompson notes that issues of the weekly newspaper the "Redondo Reflex" from 1906 to 1970 as well as some city directories of various vintages from a variety of publishers are online at Laserweb.Redondo.org.

Other early Redondo beach theatres: The Airdome and the Elite Theatre were also in the amusement area along the beach. Both were listed as being at The Midway in the 1912/13 city directory. Their locations and history are unknown.

See the page about the Capitol Theatre. It was the major film house in town until the Fox Redondo opened on Diamond St. in 1929. The Fox was built on the site of the earlier Art Theatre. A later theatre was the Strand, a house that ended up as the Marina 1-2-3. 

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