Balboa Pavilion
The Balboa Pavilion is about 2/3 of the way down Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. It was built in 1905 by the Newport Bay Investment Company at a cost of $15,000.00. Measuring 80′ x 120′, the two-story wood-frame structure is “Waterfront Victorian” in style with some eclectic influences. In 1923, J. P. Greeley converted the second floor of the Pavilion into a dance floor. Structural improvements and rehabilitations were undertaken in 1947, 1962 and 1968. The Pavilion was the southern terminus of the famous Red Car Line with the first car rolling in on July 4, 1906. The 1920s brought larger crowds, jazz, gambling and dancing to the Pavilion. In 1932, the Pavilion hosted the first U.S. National Surfing Championship. The Pavilion became Newport’s first local historical landmark in June 1968 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Newport Beach, Orange County
Photographers: Ronan Murray, Andrew Schmidt