Bidwell Bowl Amphitheater – Chico CA

Description

The Bidwell Bowl amphitheater sits along Big Chico Creek on the California State University, Chico campus.  It was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1938, no doubt in conjunction with improvements the WPA was making in Bidwell Park at the time (just upstream).

The campus website provides the following information:

“Built as a WPA project in 1938, the amphitheater known as the Bidwell Bowl was one of many ventures in Chico that created work for people during the depression. Located on the bank of the creek, next to the Physical Science building, the Bidwell Bowl had been used for various gatherings. Concerts, speeches and other activities were held in the amphitheater’s early history, but by the 1960s the area had been largely abandoned. Many believe that the construction of new campus buildings in the area deterred people from using the amphitheater. Today it is one of the quieter spots on campus.”