Spreckels Theatre
Ornate nineteen-twelve playhouse built by a sugar magnate as the first modern theatre west of the Mississippi.
This guide to Spreckels Theatre in San Diego opens with sugar magnate John D. Spreckels chartering a private train to bring a full Broadway cast, costumes and scenery west for a single night, and asks why a man who already controlled the city's streetcars and newspaper would bother. It follows his decision around 1910 to hire architect Harrison Albright, fresh off lessons from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, to build San Diego its first real playhouse at a cost that ran past a million dollars. You'll hear about the packed opening night in August 1912 and later moments on this stage, including a visit from Enrico Caruso and a staging of Ben Hur with live horses. Listen for why Spreckels chose the auditorium's exact seat count on purpose.
Audio guides are written and narrated by AI.