Spreckels Organ Pavilion houses the open-air Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. The Spreckels Organ is the world's largest pipe organ in a fully outdoor venue. Constructed for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, it is located at the corner of President's Way and Pan American Road East in the park. History John D. Spreckels, son of sugar magnate Claus Spreckels, was one of the wealthiest residents in San Diego County. He supported the Panama-California Exposition, and during its construction, his brother Adolph B. Spreckels and he gave the organ pavilion as a gift to "the people of San Diego" and "the people of all the world" on December 31, 1914. They donated $33,500 ($ today) for the organ and $66,500 ($ today) for the pavilion. After Spreckels' announcement, a local orchestra performed Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, which was then followed by a 250-person chorus that sang pieces from Joseph Haydn's oratorio, The Creation. On July 27, 1915, former President Theodore Roosevelt gave a speech at the organ pavilion in front of nearly 19,000 people. He touched on topics about world peace and his desire for the United States to maintain a minimum of 200,000 military members. He also requested that San Diegans permanently keep the temporary buildings set up for the exposition. Former President William Howard Taft also spoke at the pavilion to over 7,000 people on September 16, 1915. Taft commended the city on the architecture used for the exposition buildings. John D. Spreckels also donated the services of renowned organist Humphrey John Stewart for the two-year run of the exposition. After the exposition, Spreckels extended Stewart's contract. When Spreckels died in 1926, the pavilion was used for his memorial service. The U.S. Navy borrowed Balboa Park during World War II, and no organ concerts were played during 1942–1948. During the 1970s and 1980s, the pavilion fell into disuse and risked being demolished. Around $1.1 million were raised for repairs by the early 1980s from the city and a local nonprofit. Design Initially, Bertram Goodhue's plans for Balboa Park for the Panama-California Exposition included a music pavilion that would be located north of Plaza de Panama. After Brazil decided not to participate with a building in the exposition, the pavilion was built at its site, instead. Spreckels chose Harrison Albright to design the organ pavilion. Albright was a self-taught Los Angeles architect, who previously designed the