Civic Center of Greater Des Moines facts for kids
Civic Center in 2006
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| Address | 221 Walnut Street Des Moines, Iowa, United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°35′15″N 93°37′13″W / 41.587424°N 93.620409°W |
| Owner | Des Moines Performing Arts |
| Operator | Des Moines Performing Arts |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 2,744 People |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 10, 1979 |
| Architect | Charles Hebert & Associates |
| General contractor | The Weitz Company |
The Des Moines Civic Center is a large theater in Des Moines, Iowa. It's a special place where many different shows happen. It opened on June 10, 1979, and has been the biggest theater in Iowa ever since.
People come here to see exciting concerts, famous Broadway shows, beautiful ballets, and many other fun events. It's a hub for the arts in the city.
Inside the Civic Center building, you'll also find the Stoner Theater. This smaller theater has 200 seats and is used for plays and talks. It's right on the street level.
Just west of the Civic Center is Cowles Commons. This is a large outdoor space that opened in June 2015. Many events are held there throughout the year.
The Civic Center, Stoner Theater, Cowles Commons, and the nearby Temple for Performing Arts are all part of Des Moines Performing Arts. This group helps bring amazing shows and events to the community.
Contents
History of the Civic Center
Building a New Theater
Back in 1972, an old theater called the KRNT Theater closed down. This meant downtown Des Moines no longer had a big place for cultural events. Community leaders wanted to build a new theater.
In 1974, they tried to get people to vote for a plan to build one. They needed 60% of the votes to agree, but only 54% said yes. Even though they didn't get enough votes, business leaders in Des Moines didn't give up.
Community Support
Instead, they decided to create a private, non-profit group. This group would build and run a new performing arts center. It was a huge effort! In less than 90 days, they raised $9.3 million. This was the biggest fundraising project the city had ever seen at that time.
Opening Day and Features
The Des Moines Civic Center officially opened its doors on June 10, 1979, with a special open house. The very first public show was a ballet performance on June 14.
The Civic Center is known for its excellent sound quality. This means that music and voices sound great no matter where you sit. It's also easy for everyone to get around, including people with disabilities. No seat in the theater is more than about 145 feet (44 meters) away from the stage. All the seats are on one level, making it easy to see the stage.
Inside the Theater
The stage itself is very large. It is 28 feet (8.5 meters) high and 78 feet (24 meters) wide. Backstage, there are ten dressing rooms for performers to get ready.
The theater has two main lobbies. Each lobby has a high ceiling, reaching 50 feet (15 meters). They also have skylights and glass walls, which let in lots of natural light. Skywalks connect the theater to many other buildings downtown.
Big Shows and Success
In 1997, a very popular show called The Phantom of the Opera came to the Civic Center. Over 100,000 people came to see it during its five-week run. This showed everyone that Des Moines could successfully host very large and popular shows.
The Broadway series in 2012-2013 was also very popular. More than 133,000 tickets were sold for these shows.
Popular Show Series
The Des Moines Civic Center hosts many different types of shows and events throughout the year. Here are some of the popular series:
- Willis Broadway Series: Features big, well-known shows from Broadway.
- Des Moines Symphony: Performances by the city's own symphony orchestra.
- The Dance Series: Showcases various dance performances.
- Wellmark Family Series: Fun and engaging shows for families.
- Applause Series: A variety of different performances.
- Temple Comedy Series: Stand-up comedy and humorous acts.
- Live at the Temple Concert Series: Music concerts held at the nearby Temple for Performing Arts.
- Lunch Unplugged: Daytime performances, often during lunch breaks.
- Smart Talk Connected Conversations: Talks and discussions with interesting speakers.
