The resulting seismic retrofit, which shut down the building for the 1996 season, provided an opportunity to bring the antiquated theatrical systems up to date. However, in 1996, both companies moved to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for a season. The San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet, which share the Opera House, made do with the damaged building and equipment. Most San Francisco buildings are earthquake-proof the Opera House was not. However, it was discovered that many of the city's cultural treasures, including the Geary Theatre, the Main Library, and the War Memorial Opera House, had received serious blows as well.

As flames shot up into the sky over the Marina District, many thought that most of the destruction occurred there. On October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m., Loma Prieta, one of the century's strongest Bay Area earthquakes, jolted San Francisco. Performing arts patrons are accommodated amid plush velvet seats, elaborate Beaux Arts detailing, and state-of-the-art technology. The War Memorial Opera House opened in 1932, along with the Veterans Building as part of the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center.

The War Memorial Opera House is the 3,146-seat home to the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet. The San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, located at 301 Van Ness Avenue and Grove Street, rivals Old World theaters with its elegant lines, vaulted and coffered ceiling, marble foyer, and sweeping balconies.

War memorial opera house united states