| Pasadena Convention Center | |
|---|---|
 Front entrance of Pasadena Civic Auditorium, part of the Pasadena Convention Center complex, in October 2016 | |
 Interactive map of {{#if empty|Pasadena Convention Center|Pasadena Convention Center}} | |
| Address | 300 East Green Street |
| Location | Pasadena, California, United States |
| Owner | City of Pasadena |
| Operator | Pasadena Center Operating Company |
| Built | 1931 |
| Enclosed space | |
ThePasadena Convention Center is aconvention center inPasadena, California, United States. It consists of three buildings.
The Civic Auditorium, one of the major structures in thePasadena Civic Center District, was built in 1931 and is best known for being the home for theEmmy Awards from 1977 until 1997. It was designed by architectsGeorge Edwin Bergstrom,Cyril Bennett, andFitch Haskell.[1] It is the former home of thePasadena Symphony Orchestra. It has also been used for some episodes ofAmerican Idol. It was used as the show's venue for "Hollywood Week" in seasons 1, 3 and 10. The 3,029-seattheater hosts musicals, operas and concerts, among other events, on its 56 by 42 ft (17 by 13 m) stage.
The venue'stheatre organ was acquired in 1979, having been commissioned from American firmM. P. Möller in 1938 as a touring organ by EnglishmanReginald Foort, who attended its Pasadena inauguration on April 23, 1980.[2] It had been used by theBBC during and afterWorld War II.[2]
In addition to the main auditorium, the Civic Auditorium building originally contained two lecture rooms and an exhibition hall of 100 by 200 ft (30 by 61 m).[3]
The auditorium was famously the site of some of the earliest live performances ofVan Halen before being discovered.
TheMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special was taped here on March 25, 1983; and aired onNBC in May. The show is best remembered forMichael Jackson's performance of "Billie Jean" in which he debuted his signature dance move the "Moonwalk".[4]Louis Armstrong's 1951 albumSatchmo at Pasadena was also recorded here.
The annualNAACP Image Awards have been held at the Auditorium numerous times, including at least (earlier records are incomplete) 1992–2000, 2014–2018, 2020, 2023 and 2025, excluding 1995 (no awards presented), 2021 and 2022 (virtual due to theCOVID-19 pandemic).
The auditorium has also been used for theMiss Teen USA 2007 pageant. The preliminary and final competitions were broadcast live on NBC.
From 2017 to 2019, the Auditorium hosted the44th,45th, and46th Daytime Emmy Awards alongside their related44th,45th and 46th DaytimeCreative Arts Emmy Awards.[5]
The auditorium has hosted theAmerica's Got Talent audition rounds sinceseason 11 (2016).[citation needed] It also serves as the main venue for the live shows starting onseason 17 (2022).
The auditorium hosts the annualPasadena Unified School District graduation ceremonies for Blair High School, John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School, John Muir High School and Pasadena High School, which takes place after the Memorial Day holiday, since 2000.
The Exhibition Building, adjacent to the west side of the Auditorium, features 50,000 sq ft (4,650 m2) of exhibit space and can seat up to 4,400 for various events. Adjacent to the Exhibition Building is a 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) annex seating up to 600 patrons.
The building holds large corporate events, conventions (such asCatCon), along withtrade shows.[6]
The Conference Building, adjacent to the south side of the Auditorium, has 17 meeting rooms totaling 28,000 sq ft (2,600 m2).
34°08′36″N118°08′39″W / 34.143383°N 118.144243°W /34.143383; -118.144243