Dreamland / Winterland

Northwest corner of Post St. & Steiner St.  | map |

The first building: 

Opened: The first Dreamland Rink was in use by mid-August 1906 for some boxing matches -- and movies of boxing matches. The formal opening as a skating rink didn't occur until September 24. The entrance was mid-block on the west side of Steiner between Post and Sutter. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing the July 11, 1906 news item.

Architect: Arthur T. Ehrenpfort  

 

A detail from page 277 volume 3 of the 1913 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map with the entrance to Dreamland seen on the right mid-block along Sutter St. The larger portion of the building was behind the National Theatre, another 1906 building (initially a tent). The National's entrance was at Sutter and Post. St. Post runs along the bottom of the image. The Dreamland and National lots seen here became the location for the second Dreamland building erected in 1928. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating this in the Library of Congress collection. Their site calls it image 54.

Pierce St. is on the left with the Pavilion Rink, later known as the Winter Garden, occupying the west third of the block. It opened in September 1906. In the upper center along Sutter is a house plus the Golden Gate Commandery Hall, a building used by a number of fraternal organizations. In the upper right is the Republic Theatre. It had opened in 1907 as the Alcazar and would end up as a film house called the Uptown.

Also see a black and white version of the map detail that John Freeman located and scanned from Digital Sanborn Maps 1867-1970, volume 3, sheet 277 via the San Francisco Public Library. He notes: "There was only one dwelling, but the rest of the entire block was taken up with some variation of entertainment or fraternal secrecy!" 

 

Movies every night except Fridays. It's an ad in the Sunday, September 23, 1906 SF Call. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it via the California Digital Newspaper Collection website. 

 

 

 

An ad for the September 24 grand opening as a skating rink. It appeared on the same page in the Sunday, September 23 SF Call as the ad for the boxing movies.   

 

 

A 1907 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection. taken after the theatre got a roof. Looking up Steiner we get a view of the Dreamland Rink. Beyond is the stagehouse of the New Alcazar / Uptown Theatre at Sutter and Steiner.  There's a copy of Jack's photo on the San Francisco Public Library website.  

A detail from the 1907 photo. 

 

Part of the Dreamland facade is seen on the left edge of this early 1907 view of the Alcazar. The theatre is facing onto Sutter St. The photo is on Calisphere from the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library collection. There's also a copy of the photo from the scrapbooks of Henry Hamilton Dobbin in the California State Library collection, their item #01393119.  

  

A flyer for the December 1910 appearance of Luisa Tetrazini. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting it it when it popped up on eBay. He refers to her as "insanely popular" and adds: "This was a few days after her historic outdoor show for 100,000 at 3rd and Market. A photo of her December 24 appearance there is on the Open SF History Project website." 

Art also located this December 27 story in the SF Call that's on the California Digital Newspaper Collection website: 

On the same page in the Call are the articles "Bronze Bust of Diva May Rest on Fountain" as well as her handwritten note "Tetrazzini's Message to San Francisco Through the Call."

 

 

 On June 24, 1911, the Chronicle published an article announcing plans to demolish the Dreamland Rink and the National Theatre and build a Dreamland Auditorium seating at least 13,000.  This drawing by architect J.B. Randell was printed with the article. The promoters, landowner Abe Harsall and real estate man Emil E. Kahn, promised immediate demolition and an opening date of June 1, 1912.  However, nothing seems to come of this particular plan, and it was not until 1928 that a large auditorium of this size was built on the two sites.

 

On October 20, 1915, an SF Call article reported that the both the Dreamland Rink and the adjacent National Theatre, then property of the late John C. Wilson's bankruptcy estate, were on the market with no interest from prospective purchasers. Wilson had died in May of 1915.

On the eve of the 1916 Presidential election, overflow crowds heard California Governor Hiram Johnson rally voters for Republican candidate Charles Evans Hughes. The adjacent National Theatre was used to handle the overflow. This is from the November 4, 1916 issue of the Chronicle. 

 

This wresting match was advertised in the San Francisco Bulletin of Jul 7, 1927, Page 16, as seen by Art Siegel.

The final event at Dreamland Rink was a boxing bout on September 2, 1927 between middleweights Ray Pelkey and Bert Colima. The next day Les Cohen reported wryly in the San Francisco Bulletin, as seen by Art Siegel: 

 

"Old Dreamland Rink passed out last night. So did Ray Pelkey. They went out simultaneously. It was announced many weeks ago that the rink was to be shut down and wrecked. Last night's card was the last. Pelkey's passing was not given previous announcement....It will take about two weeks before the rink can be cleared and workers will be permitted to start tearing the place to pieces."

 

 

The SF Bulletin of September 30, 1927 ran this elevated view looking southwest over the demolition site as the last wall came down. In the background, the large structure is the Pavilion Rink, later the Winter Garden and Iceland.

 

 

The 2nd Dreamland:

 

The Recorder  for  May 28, 1927, Page 10 (as spotted by Art Siegel), reported that Dreamland Auditorium Inc had applied for a building permit for a new auditorium at the northwest corner of Post and Steiner Streets.

 

The San Francisco Examiner Sat, May 28, 1927, Page 30 (as seen by Art Siegel) announced more details.

 

On October 5, 1927, the SF Bulletin reported that the old arena was no more and the ground was leveled. Still to be demolished was the gas station that was on the corner site of the old National Theatre.

The SF Bulletin of December 7, 1927 announced that the steel had arrived and the foundation work had begun for the new building, referred to as both "Greater Dreamland" and "New Dreamland." These SF Bulletin clips were spotted by Art Siegel.

Opened: 1928 as the New Dreamland Auditorium. Jack Tillmany notes that the official opening was Tuesday, June 26 with the first of a series of Summer Symphony concerts.

It was built on the site of the much smaller original Dreamland rink as well as the lot once occupied by the National Theatre.

 

 

The Examiner on June 23, 1928, announced an open house for the public the next day. It described a seating capacity of 8,500 for boxing and 4,500 for grand operas, and said the floor was on hydraulic jacks that allowed it to be leveled for dances and receptions or tilted for concerts and operas. The building was reported to have cost $1.2 million dollars.

 

This June 29, 1928 photo is from the San Francisco Public Library collection. We're looking north on Steiner. Beyond the new building one of the towers of the Alcazar/Uptown Theatre at Steiner and Sutter is visible.

Architect:  Ward & Blohme, John Henry Blohme and Clarence Richard Ward

Seating: Varied depending on the setup for a particular attraction. 8,500 was the announced capacity in an early article. Presumably that number included seats on the main floor. 5,400 was evidently the capacity for shows like "Ice Follies.  However, seating estimates varied widely depending on the source.

 

A main floor seating chart for the March 1930 engagement of the German Grand Opera Company. The promoter promised that Dreamland would be "transformed into an Opera House." This appeared in a February 1930 program for a performance by Lawrence Tibbett, part of a 1929-1930 season promoted by Selby C. Oppenheimer Attractions. Another performance in the series was an appearance by Josef Hofmann.  

 

"All Seats Command Perfect View." It's a balcony seating chart for the 1930 engagement of the German Grand Opera Company. Thanks to Rick Bellamy for sharing the seating charts from a program in his collection. For additional pages from the program see his post on the BAHT Facebook page. 

The first boxing match was held on June 29, 1928, and the Examiner sports writer described its importance as well as giving more details of the building, including a further description of the hydraulic floor in an article that day (as spotted by Art Siegel): 

"The opening of Dreamland Auditorium should bring to San Francisco, once the mecca of pugilism, new era in boxing, in that we now possess a first class and up to date arena. Heretofore the promoters were unable to bring any of our leading performers to San Francisco primarily because they had no available place.

 

"Dreamland Auditorium is one of the finest boxing pavilions in the country. It will seat between 9,500 and 10,000 persons comfortably. Spacious opera chairs have been provided. A garage in the basement of the huge structure will take care of 2,500 automobiles. Even from the remote corners of the gallery the ring is as visible as it is to ringsiders. Some of the choicest seats are located in the gallery.

 

"The ring works on hydraulic lifts as do several sections of the main floor. The back portion of the arena can be raised on these hydraulic lifts so as to make visibility good for those who occupy seats in the back of the arena."

 

 

On April 20, 1939 The Chronicle reported a new name for the arena, Winterland, as spotted by Art Siegel.

 

The venue re-opened as Winterland May 12, 1939 with "Ice Follies of 1939." The Ice Follies became a well-attended annual event for the next 4 decades with the last performances in 1978.

 

 

 

Variety of August 30, 1939  (spotted by Art Siegel) recapped the phenomenal first season of Ice Follies that caused the big change in programming. 

 

 

The Examiner ran this ad on August 29, 1939 (contributed by Art Siegel).

Over its life this building hosted almost everything at one time or another including the San Francisco Opera and the Follies Bergere (1944). 

 

In this October 1950 Sanborn insurance map, spotted by Art Siegel on the Library of Congress website, Winterland is at the upper right. Steiner Street is at the top of the map, Sutter Street along the left and Post Street at the right, with Pierce Street at the bottom. At upper left is the Uptown Theatre and the empty lot at the bottom is where the Pavilion Rink, later the Winter Garden, stood between September 1906 and its destruction by fire in August 1936.

It became a rock venue in 1966 with many concerts promoted by Bill Graham. By 1971 Graham's firm, Bill Graham Presents, had taken it over exclusively. 

 

 

On September 12, 1978, the SF Examiner (as spotted by Art Siegel) reported that Bill Graham had decided to end his shows at the venue, which that year had only hosted 11 shows. The image above appeared with the Examiner article. Graham planned to close out his tenure with a month of shows by the biggest rock stars that December. He reminisced and explained in "A deathly chill falls over the once-hot Winterland,"an Examiner article by Jeff Jarvis:

"Winterland is about to die; its days as a rock music emporium are numbered. San Francisco rock promoter Bill Graham, who ran Winterland and Fillmore West and the original Fillmore Auditorium before it is planning to put on his last shows there in December. He's trying to set up a series of concerts for that last month to give Bay Area stars a chance to perform there one last time, to raise money for the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic and to say goodbye to Winterland. Graham has contacted Carlos Santana, the Doobie Brothers, the Grateful Dead, Sammy Hagar, Jefferson Starship, Eddie Money, Ronnie Montrose, Van Morrison, Pablo Cruise, Boz Scaggs, Tower of Power, The Tubes, Neil Young and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

"The letters just went out, and none of the stars has yet signed up. Though the music will be loud, the spotlights bright and the smell of illicit substances will hang in the air as bodies jam the floor and boogey to the music, it won't be the same. It won't be like the Winterland of the '60s, the decade of the Fillmores. Pardon the cliche, but this is the end of an era. There are plenty of practical reasons for it. In the letters he sent to the stars, Graham explained he was leaving Winterland because it's getting too expensive to maintain, because of continuing pressure from Fillmore District neighbors to bar musical events from the hall, and because it's just not used much anymore. Since January, it has been used only 11 days. It used to rock 40 weekends a year.

"In an interview, Graham said he's also leaving Winterland because: 'The 5,000-seater is obsolete.'  Unlike the old days when big local bands such as the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Big Brother and the Holding Company could thrive in halls that size, now records routinely sell in the millions and the artists who record them play in 3,000-seat clubs and then in 30,000-seat coliseums. Graham said he's not looking for a hall to replace Winterland. 'The aura is no longer a draw,' Graham said. 'because the aura is created by the people who come and the people who come now have a totally different reason than the people who came some time ago. People came to join their peers and forget and we understand each other, that's why we're here.' Now it's "hi" and the stage.'

 

"He focused his eyes on an imaginary stage and pointed to it. 'The draw is the stage. And, to be sure, the area has changed. Part of the thrill for a kid from the Peninsula going to Winterland or the Fillmore used to be walking down Haight Street and going to a psychedelic deli or getting a "Love Burger." I knew the Haight had had it in '69 when somebody opened up a "Love Burger" stand,' Graham lamented. He got worked up talking about it. As he left, he pointed to his letter and shook his head about leaving Winterland. 'I guess it is more emotionally involved than it says on a piece of paper.'

 

"Winterland was born in the late 1920s as 'Dreamland Auditorium.' Joe Louis and Jack Dempsey fought there. It was the 'scene of all manner of sports events, lectures, balls, horse shows and even opera,' a 1939 clipping said. That was the year Dreamland became Winterland. It was transformed into an Alpine setting for the opening of the Ice Follies of 1939. All through the '40s and '50s, it was the scene of sweaty, smoky boxing matches and other sporting events, as well as a stage for young women in tutus and tights to skate for the Ice Follies. Then, in the late '60s, the younger generation took over. Graham soon had control of all musical events in the building. His lease lasted for about 10 years. 

 

"Graham's New Year's Eve concerts remain legendary. Ringing in 1969 at Winterland were the Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, It's a Beautiful Day and Santana; in 1970, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver, Sons of Champlin and Hot Tuna; and in 1971, the Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Stoneground. The Rolling Stones played there. So did Jimi Hendrix. The Band ended at Winterland, on Thanksgiving Day 1976, in The Last Waltz with Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Muddy Waters and more. 'Winterland is many different things to all of us,' Graham wrote in his letter to the stars. 'For me, the facility is the large stepchild of the original Fillmore, which makes it the place where the traditions of the Fillmore were carried on light shows, apples, music to all hours, benefits, etc.; to others, Winterland meant a breakthrough, as a performer, or as a visitor. The closing of Winterland will be the marking of an era's end for me, and for the entire Bill Graham organization.'

"Before Winterland dies, Graham wants to put on a dozen concerts with 'the great headlining groups that have made San Francisco the music capital of the world during these past 12 years.' He's asking the stars to contribute $1,000 to the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic; Graham will do likewise and throw in an extra thousand for a $25,000 contribution. 'It's only fitting,' he said, 'that we acknowledge the clinic's contribution to the overall Bay Area music scene throughout the turbulent '60s and 70s.'  July 4, 1968, the original Fillmore Auditorium was closed. July 4, 1971, Fillmore West died. Now, on Dec. 31, 1978, Winterland will pass, too."

Closing: The last show was New Year's Day 1979.

Status: It was demolished in 1985. There's now an apartment building on the site.  


Interior views:

A June 27, 1928 photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection. Titled "Observatory Club located on site of old Dreamland rink." The pit in the middle of the floor allowed a stage or boxing ring to be raised and lowered by hydraulic lifts. It also appears that the rear portion of the floor has been raised to a slant in this photo. 

 

An interior view of a lounge area dated June 27, 1928 from the San Francisco Public Library collection.

 

 

A September 7, 1938 photo taken by Merrill G. Rawson for the Examiner. The occasion was a meeting of the members of the Retail Department Store Employees Union, then out on strike.

 

 

A shaky shot by Mr. Rawson to the rear of the house. Thanks to Paul Penna for sharing these two Examiner photos in a post for the San Francisco Remembered Facebook group. And thanks to Art Siegel for spotting the post. Both photos are in the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library collection.

This March 4, 1940 Gabriel Moulin photo of skaters was spotted by Art Siegel in the San Francisco Public Library collection, with this caption:  "Skatin' Time. The snow-covered mountains in the background may be painted, but the ice is real--and hard, too, if the skaters swinging around the Winterland rink (left) get too fancy in their spins....". Printed on back: "'It's grand fun ice skating' say these people at Winterland, Post and Steiner streets, San Francisco."
"Gabriel MoulinStudios."

A November 4, 1940 Gabriel Moulin Studios photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection showing the remodeling which had been done for the Ice Follies shows.  

 

A photo from the San Francisco Public Library Collection dated November 19, 1950 and titled "Winterland's new boxing ring."

 

More exterior views:

A June 27, 1928 photo from the San Francisco Public Library collection titled "Observatory Club located on site of old Dreamland rink." The Observatory Club was the boxing promotion company that staged fights there.

A July 14, 1928 photo in the San Francisco Public Library collection.

A September, 1928 photo from the Jack Tillmany collection.

A May 1930 photo by the Morton-Waters Co. appearing on the Open SF History Project website.

A billboard for the "Ice Follies." Thanks to Jack Tillmany for the June 1949 photo. He comments: "These 6-sheet poster boards were to be seen all over SF when there were still vacant lots in the neighborhoods in which to mount them. This one was at 23rd Avenue & Balboa, at the bottom of the well known Balboa dip, featured in the 1972 comedy classic 'What's Up Doc?'"

Winterland is in the background of this Fillmore neighborhood gathering in this December 24, 1952 view west on Post St. near Fillmore. It's from the OpenSFHistory archive.

A closeup from that 1952 image, furnished by Art Siegel, shows that wrestling and boxing matches were regular fare at that time.

This August 20, 1964 photo  from the San Francisco Public Library collection shows the Steiner Street facade decorated for the Ice Follies of 1964, furnished by Art Siegel.

A look up Steiner toward the Uptown Theatre (the former Alcazar) and St. Dominic's Church on Bush St. It's a c.1968 Tom Gray photo in the Jack Tillmany collection. 

Waiting for a Rolling Stones concert in June, 1972. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for finding the photo. The Kabuki Theatre is in the distance. 

A c.1978 photo by Tom Gray that's in the Jack Tillmany collection. By now, the sign had been changed to "Bill Graham's Winterland."

A December 1978 photo by Tom Gray from the Jack Tillmany collection The sign advertises the final New Year's Eve show.  Bill Graham had "Thank You" painted on the building.

A c.1980 photo from Isabella Acuña on the Facebook page San Francisco Remembered.

Demolition beginning in 1985. It's a photo from the San Francisco Public Library, looking north from Post Street.

A 1985 demolition view from the San Francisco Public Library collection.

 

Another 1985 demolition shot from the San Francisco Public Library collection, this time looking east toward the entrance.

A September 24, 1985 Chronicle article. Thanks to Jack Tillmany for sharing this from his collection.  

 

 

The sign coming down in 1985. The image was shared by John Aguis in a post for the Bagdad By The Bay San Francisco Facebook group. Thanks to Art Siegel for spotting a share of the post on the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation page.

More information: Jack Tillmany's Arcadia Publishing book "Theatres of San Francisco" can be previewed on Google Books. It's available from Amazon or your local bookseller.

See the San Francisco Public Library website for more Winterland photos. Wikipedia has an article on the Winterland Ballroom. 

See "The rise and demolition of the Winterland Ballroom," a 2021 Chronicle article with many photographs. Thanks to Rob Doughty for spotting it.

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