Scottish Rite Cathedral, Masonic temple in Long Beach, California.

The Scottish Rite Cathedral is a five-story Romanesque Revival building of steel frame and reinforced concrete, faced in granite and terra cotta, designed by Wright & Gentry and built in 1925–1926. Its auditorium has a 30-foot ceiling with hand-painted designs, a stage 27 feet wide at the front curtain and 40 feet deep, and seating for 800.

Ground was broken in July 1925, and the 500-ton steel skeleton went up in just 27 days. The cathedral was dedicated in September 1926 over a three-day ceremony in which several hundred men received Masonic degrees. With furnishings, the building cost an estimated $500,000, and the Los Angeles Times called it one of the most beautiful structures of its kind in the West.

The 1926 dedication was a three-day ceremony in which several hundred men received Masonic degrees. The auditorium, with its 30-foot hand-painted ceiling, seats 800 and hosts theatrical performances, weddings and other events. The Los Angeles Times called it one of the most beautiful structures of its kind in the West when it opened.

The auditorium seats 800, and its stage is 27 feet wide at the front curtain and 40 feet deep. The building is a Long Beach Historic Landmark, so check with the Scottish Rite branch before visiting; the hall is used for theatrical performances, weddings and other events.

The steel skeleton weighed about 500 tons and was erected in just 27 days; some 250 tons of ornamental terra cotta came from the Los Angeles Pressed Brick Company. Architect Parker O. Wright justified the steel frame by saying such buildings are more earthquake-proof than those of any other material.