Sunset School began in 1903 as a subscription school of seven students in a private home. In 1906 a school was built at Ninth Avenue and San Carlos Street in a late Gothic Revival style, and a larger auditorium with seating for 700 was added in 1931. The community used it as a performing venue for years.
The city bought the property in the mid-1960s, planning a cultural center, and in 1998 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After a $22 million renovation it reopened in 2003 with the 66th Carmel Bach Festival.
Today it presents concerts, theater, comedy and dance and remains the main home of the Bach Festival.