convention center

While surrounding skyscrapers dwarf the concrete fortress on 13th Street in downtown Kansas City, Mo, viewed head on, the Municipal Auditorium is as magisterial today as it was in 1899 and again when rebuilt in 1935. That year, Architectural Record named the auditorium “one of the 10 best buildings in the world.” This century, the Princeton Architectural Press included it in their list of 500 notable buildings in America. In function alone, Municipal Auditorium deserves this distinction. The gargantuan center comprises three spaces: the multipurpose arena—home of sports, circuses, and presidential speeches; the Music Hall for performing arts; and the Little Theatre, a reception room and banquet hall. Over the years its spaces have served Broadway shows like The Lion King, basketball tournaments with the NCAA, and visits from the likes of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He made the original dedication, before a packed crowd in the arena, in October 1936.