The Cow Palace was on the Hilo Bay front near the east end of Mooheau Park and was built before World War I for the H. Hackfield Company; it survived the two major tsunamis that destroyed bayfront Hilo after the 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake and the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. It was nicknamed for its resemblance to the more famous stadium near San Francisco, although it was already known as the Hilo Recreation Building in 1956, when it was used as the venue for the 4th annual orchid show. Part of the roof collapsed in spring 1969 due to termite damage and heavy rains, leading to its demolition; it had served the "Grog Shoppe" for the Merry Monarch Festival, but the bar was moved to one of the butler buildings in 1969.