[1] Named for California state senator Ralph E. Swing, the arena was constructed at the grounds of the National Orange Show in 1949.
[2] Many musicians and other artists performed at the venue, including the Dillards, Jack Benny, George Burns, Louis Armstrong, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Ike & Tina Turner, Elvis Presley, Johnny Winter, and (for 13 consecutive years) Bob Hope.
[2] Sammy Davis Jr. hosted a benefit concert at the venue in 1958, featuring performances by Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, Tony Curtis, Danny Thomas and Shirley MacLaine.
[2] Davis hosted the event to demonstrate his appreciation to the San Bernardino Community Hospital for treating him following an automobile accident in 1954.
[3] On September 11, 1981, the auditorium was irreparably damaged when it was struck by a twin-engine Cessna T310P, registered N5705M, in an accident that killed the pilot and passenger,[4][5] following which the building had to be demolished.