[1][2] Originally named the El Patio Ballroom and located on the east side of Vermont Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Street, it boasted being “the largest and most famous dance hall on the West Coast.” The building featured a large mezzanine, a balcony, and a seventy-five hundred square foot patio.

[3] The dance hall was renamed Rainbow Gardens by real estate developer Raymond Lewis, who purchased the property, added an indoor miniature golf course and changed the name to the Palomar Ballroom.

The famed structure was the backdrop for several major Hollywood films that included The Big Broadcast of 1937, made during Benny Goodman's return engagement, and Dancing Coed, which starred Lana Turner and Artie Shaw's band.

A modern cooling system was installed, cocktail lounges and soda fountains were added and the dance floor was enlarged.

It included a reserved table in the posh palm-lined Palomar Terrace for the entire evening, a seven-course dinner, a floor show and dancing until 2:00 AM.