Kaiser Convention Center, Beaux-Arts convention center in Oakland, United States

The Kaiser Convention Center is a Beaux-Arts building completed in 1915 at 10 10th Street in Oakland's Civic Center district. Architect John J. Donovan designed it, with sculptural reliefs by Alexander Stirling Calder set in niches on the north façade. It holds a 5,492-seat arena, the 1,500-seat Calvin Simmons Theatre and a large ballroom.

The Oakland Civic Auditorium was built between 1913 and 1915 and opened on April 30, 1915, with a three-day celebration called "Dance of a Thousand Colors"; the design is credited to John J. Donovan. A 1912 bond of $500,000 funded it, and the scope grew to add a theatre, art gallery and ballroom. During the 1918 flu pandemic the auditorium served as a makeshift infirmary.

The building honours Henry J. Kaiser, the industrialist whose name was given to it after the 1984 renovation; it had been the Oakland Civic Auditorium since 1915. From 1919 to 1987 it hosted the annual Christmas Pageant, in which ballerina Louise Jorgensen trained at least 1,700 children from 70 city schools as elves, toys, poinsettias and fairies.

The center sits in downtown Oakland with good access by public transit and nearby parking options for visitors. Arriving early gives you time to appreciate the architectural details and grand entrance hall before events begin.

The venue has become a gathering place for artists and performers over its lifetime and is now being renovated to create permanent homes for local arts groups. This transformation honors its historical role while opening new possibilities for contemporary artists.