The Cow Palace is an indoor arena and events center in Daly City, California, sitting right on the San Francisco border. Opened on April 20, 1941, as the California State Livestock Pavilion, it earned its nickname from the Grand National Rodeo, Horse & Stock Show it was built to host, an event still held there annually today.
Over more than eight decades, the Cow Palace has hosted an unusually wide mix of events, from NBA basketball and NHL hockey to presidential nominating conventions and some of the biggest rock shows of the 1960s. It remains in operation today as a state-owned venue for concerts, sports, trade shows, and the rodeo that gave it its name.
- Golden State Warriors played here 1962–1964 and 1966–1971. See every Warriors arena →
- San Jose Sharks played here 1991–1993. See every Sharks arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Daly City, California
- Opened: April 20, 1941
- Capacity (concerts): About 16,500
- Capacity (basketball): About 14,000
- Capacity (ice hockey): About 13,550
- Past Teams: San Francisco Warriors (NBA), San Jose Sharks (NHL)
- Notable For: Hosted the Beatles’ first two U.S. tour stops (1964-65)
A Home for Sports and Rock and Roll
The San Francisco Warriors played at the Cow Palace from 1962 to 1964 and again from 1966 to 1971, a stretch that included the 1967 NBA All-Star Game and games during the 1975 NBA Finals era. Decades later, the San Jose Sharks skated their inaugural NHL season there in 1991-92 before moving south to their permanent home.
The arena is just as well known for its concert history. The Beatles played the Cow Palace on their first American tour in August 1964, returning in 1965, and the venue also welcomed Elvis Presley and other major acts of the era. It additionally hosted the 1956 and 1964 Republican National Conventions and the 1960 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.
Still Home to the Grand National Rodeo
Despite its brush with rock stardom and pro sports, the Cow Palace has never strayed from its agricultural roots. The Grand National Rodeo, Horse & Stock Show has been held there annually since 1941, aside from a wartime pause from 1942 to 1945, making it one of the longest-running rodeo traditions on the West Coast.
Owned and operated by the state of California through the 1-A District Agricultural Association, the Cow Palace continues to host a rotating calendar of concerts, trade shows, sporting events, and the rodeo that gave the building its name over 80 years ago.
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For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
For late-season football, outdoor hockey and October park nights. Shake, pocket, and stay warm for hours.
Cow Palace FAQs
When did the Cow Palace open?
The Cow Palace opened on April 20, 1941, as the California State Livestock Pavilion.
What is the Cow Palace’s seating capacity?
It holds about 16,500 for concerts, roughly 14,000 for basketball, and about 13,550 for ice hockey.
Which pro sports teams played at the Cow Palace?
The NBA’s San Francisco Warriors played there in the 1960s and early 1970s, and the NHL’s San Jose Sharks used it as their first home arena in 1991-92.
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Photo: Dante Alighieri / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.