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The Municipal Auditorium
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The Municipal Auditorium
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Municipal Auditorium, an art deco wonder, occupies the square block bounded by 13th, 14th, Wyandotte and Central streets in downtown Kansas City. It opened in 1936 and cost $6.5 million. It was the largest of a group of public improvements constructed under a "ten-year plan" for which Kansas City voters approved a $52 million bond issue in 1931. The bonds were supplemented by a federal PWA grant.The auditorium was designed to accommodate the broadest possible range of events -- conventions, athletic events, exhibitions, industrial shows, concerts, plays or lectures, big or small. It has been the scene of everything from political conventions and NCAA Final Four championships to philharmonic performances and circuses. Nearly every U.S. president or would-be president since the 1930s has taken his campaign to Municipal Auditorium. Literature at the time of its opening noted that no expense was spared on the interior decor and accommodations. Color schemes, lighting, furniture, artwork and a wealth of art deco design elements were carefully chosen to give it a finished, even lavish appearance.
The building includes three large spaces: a multi-purpose arena, the Music Hall, and an elegant little ballroom known as the Little Theater. Each space is easily accessible through its own lobby, complete with coat-check room, box office and marquee. Events can be held in each of these large facilities simultaneously, without conflict.
The arena has comfortable seating for 10,500 people. It has a 92-foot ceiling -- high enough for a trapeze artist -- and a 24,000-square-foot floor built of oak two-by-fours strong enough to support an elephant (which it has). The arena measures 301 by 291 feet, and the oval floor is 130 by 220 feet. There are no pillars or posts to obstruct patrons' view.
The Music Hall seats 2,400 and can serve orchestras, conventions, lectures, plays, musicals and similar gatherings. It features a splendid art deco lobby complete with Italian marble floors and walls, chandeliers and beautiful floor-to-ceiling murals. It is complete with a stage and all the amenities: orchestra pit, chorus dressing rooms, star dressing rooms, green room and more. The Music Hall also features an antique pipe organ with an incredible sound.
Source: Kansas City Convention and Entertainment Centers
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