The Hayward Fault runs directly underneath the auditorium building. The slowly creeping fault has offset minor parts of the building, and exterior pavement has cracked. The rate of creep is about 0.6 inches (16 mm) per year, which may alleviate tension in the fault. Even so, the fault zone is regarded as dangerous, with geologists estimating a 33% chance of a large earthquake occurring before the year 2040. The auditorium and temple were closed for refit after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, to open a year later in October 1990. A sharply jolting 4.2 magnitude strike-slip earthquake hit the area in July 2007. The auditorium and temple closed again for seismic retrofit in February 2018, except for the visitor's center and gardens which stayed open. The work was finished in May 2019.
