Phil and Jill Lesh have officially announced that their San Rafael, CA venue Terrapin Crossroads has closed. Rumors of the venue’s demise have circulated over the past few weeks; Terrapin Crossroads’ bar, restaurant and main Grate Room performance space have all been closed since the start of the global pandemic, though the club has continued to host outside music in an adjacent outdoor field in recent months. According to a report in the Marin Independent Journal, Terrapin’s use of the outdoor space was tied to their lease at the San Rafael club property, and the Terrapin team was unable to negotiate a deal with their landlord. The spot is rumored to become a Jeep dealership.

A note from the Lesh family reads:

Dear Terrapin Nation,
After almost ten amazing years, we’ve decided that it’s time to close the book on this chapter of Terrapin Crossroads. We’re incredibly thankful for the staff, musicians, and community that made Terrapin special, and we hope that you’ll remember the past decade the same way that we do; with love, joy, and a deep sense of pride at what we all built together.
We explored all possible options in an attempt to keep Terrapin at its current location, but after carefully considering a number of various partnerships and collaborations, we decided that the best thing for us, and for Terrapin, was to bid farewell – for now. In that spirit, while Terrapin’s time at its current location may be coming to a close, we know that Terrapin Crossroads was never a location – it was a community. We hope to see you all soon, in some form, somewhere down the road.
With Love and Gratitude,
Phil and Jill Lesh

The Grateful Dead bassist was inspired to open Terrapin Crossroads, which was located at the site of a former seafood restaurant that his band Furthur had played, after performing with his sons at one of Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles. They officially opened for business in early 2012 and the space has hosted a mix of Dead-inspired acts and other musicians ever since. According to a 2012 interview with Relix, Lesh envisioned Terrapin as a community center as well as a venue. The club also gave rise to The Terrapin Family Band, a once loose ensemble that has grown in one of the bassist’s primary projects. Terrapin Crossroads’ final show was a performance by Stu Allen & Mars Hotel on Halloween.