Address Mill Valley, CA 94941, USA Similar Mount Tamalpais State Park, Mt Tam, Mountain Play Association, Cataract Falls, Tennessee Valley Trailhead | ||
The Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre, known as the Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre or simpy the Mountain Theatre, is a 4,000 seat open air venue in Mount Tamalpais State Park, in Marin County, California, United States.
History
Beginning in 1913 Mount Tamalpais had hosted theatrical performances known as Mountain Plays in a natural amphitheatre setting 2000' above sea level. In the first two decades the performances were accessed by hiking or riding the winding Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods Railway. The railway was led by businessman Sidney B. Cushing, and in 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps began construction of a 4,000 seat stone amphitheater that was named the Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre in his honor. The amphitheatre was constructed by the corps using massive serpentine rocks. In 1967 the venue hosted the two-day Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival, widely considered the first outdoor rock festival ever during of the Summer of Love. It hosts theatrical productions each year in the spring.
In response to the California State Parks budget crisis, on June 21, 2013, the Tamalpais Conservation Club hosted a benefit concert, Mount Tam Jam, with profits going towards funding a broad range of needed resources, from ranger and maintenance services to equipment for trail and bridge restoration and more expedient emergency response. This first eight-hour festival resulted in a sell-out crowd under perfect weather conditions. The musical lineup included Danny Click and the Hell Yeahs, Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Review, Taj Mahal, CAKE and Galactic. The ultimate aim is to make Mount Tam Jam an annual, sustainable revenue source, a festive event that honors the spirit of the mountain and its legacy while preserving and protecting Mt. Tam and the Amphitheater for generations to come.