Cow Palace

The Cow Palace (originally known as the California State Livestock Pavilion) is an indoor arena that straddles the border between Daly City, California and San Francisco. It hosted the Golden State Warriors of the NBA from 1962-1964 and 1966-1971 and the San Jose Sharks of the NHL from 1991-1993. The arena seats 11,100 for ice hockey and 12,953 for basketball. It has also been the home of the annual Grand National Rodeo since 1941 (excepting a break from 1942-1945 due to war).

Related Topics:
Indoor arena - Daly City, California - San Francisco - Golden State Warriors - NBA - 1962 - 1964 - 1966 - 1971 - San Jose Sharks - NHL - 1991 - 1993 - Ice hockey - Basketball - Grand National Rodeo - 1941 - 1942 - 1945

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The idea for the arena was originally conceived as the result of the popularity of the livestock pavilion at the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition. It was another decade before steps were taken to finance the building, and legislative delays and the onset of the Great Depression meant that the building was not completed until 1941. The current name came about as the result of a newspaper editorial that wondered aloud "Why, when people are starving, should money be spent on a "palace for cows?" Thus, the Cow Palace was born. That may be true, but an advertisement company actually coined the name the "Cow Palace" after a man named Willard S. Anderson said that "they are just building a palace for cows."

Related Topics:
1915 - Pan-Pacific Exposition - Great Depression - 1941

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The arena opened in April, 1941. During World War II, though, the arena was used for processing soldiers bound for the Pacific theater. In the following years, it hosted innumerable hockey, basketball and boxing matches, concerts and political events, most notably the 1956 and 1964 Republican National Conventions. The arena is still used for the Grand National Rodeo today and other events.

Related Topics:
April - 1941 - World War II - 1956 - 1964 - Republican National Conventions

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According to its website, the Cow Palace has a San Francisco address, but it is physically mostly in Daly City, and it is the Daly City Police Department which patrols its grounds during events.

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