The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, opened in 1958, hosted the Academy Awards ceremony from 1961 through 1968 — the years of Audrey Hepburn and Lawrence of Arabia, of Cleopatra and My Fair Lady. The building's International Style design is modest enough that its history is the attraction rather than the architecture. It has since hosted concerts, graduations, and other large events.
The auditorium sits on Main Street at the southern end of downtown, a few blocks from the pier. It is not open for casual visits outside of events, but if you are already in the area and interested in the history of Hollywood's relationship with Santa Monica, it is worth knowing that this was, briefly, the most famous auditorium in American cinema.