Photo of the Civic Auditorium by Julius Shulman in 1958. © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)
The Santa Monica Conservancy protects the places we love. We are a nonprofit dedicated to promoting widespread understanding and appreciation of the cultural, social, economic and environmental benefits of historic preservation.
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The recent outpouring of passionate support for revitalization of Santa Monica’s Civic Auditorium—not just as a historic building but as a community asset—makes it clear that people living in Santa Monica have not given up on the potential for this iconic site despite years of neglect and closure. The motive is in the name. To be civic minded is to relate to a city, town, country or to the people who live there.

Today the Civic Auditorium is an endangered building in a precarious situation, despite its landmark status. Welton Becket’s innovative mid-century modern design retains a very high degree of historic authenticity, but the structure is seismically deficient and systems which have been neglected since the building’s heyday need to be modernized. In other words, the Civic Auditorium is currently neither safe nor practical. Revitalization is critical.

Click here to visit our new webpage dedicated to the Civic Auditorium for more information, including the first installment of a comprehensive history and exploration of the site's complex historic and cultural significance.

Upcoming Events

Search for historic resources throughout Santa Monica

Preservation Resource Center
at the Shotgun House

Free in-person tours are available this month on Wednesday, September 13 from 12-2 pm. The live virtual tour will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 30.
2520 2nd Street
Santa Monica, CA
90405
Explore the last intact shotgun house in Santa Monica, which now serves as an award-winning Preservation Resource Center for our community. Built in 1897, the little house features three original rooms where you can explore Santa Monica history and learn about preservation. Look behind the walls and the floor to reveal vintage materials, and see if you can find the one original window in the Shotgun House. learn more →

News

Civic Auditorium Update: Conservancy Articulates Views on School District's Feasibility Study

[caption id="attachment_13914" align="alignnone" width="414"] Photo of the Civic Auditorium by Julius Shulman in 1958. © J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2004.R.10)[/caption] Since making their Civic ... more

School District to Present Feasibility Study on the Civic Auditorium During Public Meeting

The future of Santa Monica’s Civic Auditorium continues to be an urgent topic of debate and discussion in the community. The City has offered the Civic as surplus ... more

Advocacy Alert: What Are the Options for the Civic Auditorium?

The Civic Auditorium is an iconic mid-20th century architectural landmark, with a history woven into our community’s memories. In addition to being a City landmark, it is eligible for ... more

Advocacy Alert: The City Negotiates the Fate of the Civic Auditorium!

On October 11, 2022 Santa Monica Conservancy City Council voted to designate the Civic Auditorium as surplus land. This decision instigated the current process in which the City is ... more

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