California's First Theater

Jack Swan built this adobe and wood structure in 1846–1847 as a lodging house and tavern for sailors arriving at Monterey Bay. It became California's first theater when soldiers and local comedians staged minstrel shows, and the first paid theatrical performance in California followed. The building earned California Historical Landmark #136 designation in 1934. A public reopening was held on August 31, 2024 — reason enough to walk through the door.