2101 Sutter St
San Francisco, CA 94115
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Winterland Ballroom was an ice skating rink and 5,400-seat music venue in San Francisco, California. Located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by rock promoter Bill Graham and became a common performance site for many of the most famous rock music artists. Graham later formed a merchandising company he called Winterland which also included concert shirts, memorabilia as well to NHL, NFL, MLB from fan shirts to Super Bowl, World Series and National Basketball Championships.OriginsWinterland was built in 1928 for the then astronomical cost of $1 million and successfully remained operating through the turmoil of the Great Depression in spite of the unheard of costs at the time. Opened on June 29, 1928, it was originally known as the "New Dreamland Auditorium." Sometime in the late 1930s, the name was changed to Winterland. It served as an ice skating rink which was convertible into a seated entertainment venue. Early acts/shows at Winterland included Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies. In November 1944 it played host to an authorized production (but somewhat americanized) of the Follies Bergere. It also was host to opera, and boxing and tennis matches.