It is named for arts patron and vineyard operator Robert Mondavi, who donated US$10 million to help with the building costs, and who also helped finance The Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science on the same campus.

Mondavi Center opened on October 3, 2002, for the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra and today serves as a venue for musical concerts, theater, dance, lecturers and other entertainers.

[1] The façade is a large glass-panelled lobby that is surrounded by sandstone that also lines the interior walls.

The facilities include: The facility was designed by Boora Architects of Portland, Oregon as a box within a box in order to insulate the hall from the sound of the nearby freeway and train tracks.

The center also features moveable panels that can adjust the acoustics of the main hall and an orchestra shell on air casters.