Henry B. González Convention Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henry B. González Convention Center |
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Convention center viewed from Market Street in 2013
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| Address | 900 E. Market Street San Antonio, TX 78205 |
| Owner | City of San Antonio |
| Opened | 1968 |
| Renovated | 1977, 1986, 2001, 2016 |
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Construction cost
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$10.9 million(1968) |
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Former names
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San Antonio Convention Center (1968-1977) |
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Theatre seating
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2,319 seat Lila Cockrell Theater |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 514,000 square feet (48,000 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 54,000 square feet (5,000 m2)(Stars at Night Ballroom) 39,576 square feet (3,700 m2)(HemisFair Ballroom) |
The Henry B. González Convention Center is a giant building in Downtown San Antonio, Texas. It sits right next to the famous San Antonio River Walk. This center is super important for San Antonio's events and tourism.
It was once called the San Antonio Convention Center. The center is named after Henry B. González, a well-known US congressman. Each year, over 300 big events happen here. These events bring more than 750,000 visitors from all over the world!
Contents
What's Inside the Convention Center?
The City of San Antonio owns this huge center. Different city groups help keep it running smoothly. The Police Department also helps keep everyone safe inside.
How Big Is It?
The convention center is really big! It covers about 1,600,000 square feet (150,000 m2) of space. Inside, there are:
- Over 203,000 square feet (18,900 m2) of meeting rooms.
- Two large ballrooms.
- Four connected exhibit halls with more than 514,000 square feet (47,800 m2) of space.
- The Lila Cockrell Theatre, which has 2,319 seats. This theater is used for many different shows.
Special Features
The "Stars at Night" ballroom is the biggest ballroom in Texas. It measures about 54,000 square feet (5,000 m2). This room has 652 special LED lights that can change colors.
When you enter the main lobby from Market Street, you'll see a cool art display. It's called "Liquid Crystal" and was designed by a studio in London. This interactive art piece cost $1 million!
History of the Center
Building for HemisFair '68
The first part of the convention center was built for HemisFair '68. This was a big world's fair held in San Antonio in 1968. Since then, the center has been changed and made much bigger.
Connecting to the Grand Hyatt
In 2008, a large hotel called the Grand Hyatt San Antonio opened. This hotel has over 1,000 rooms. It was built so that people could walk directly from the hotel into the Convention Center.
Big Expansion in 2016
In 2016, the city finished a huge project. They expanded, updated, and modernized the entire facility. The goal was to make it connect better with the nearby Hemisfair park and Alamo Plaza.
Part of the project involved removing some old walls inside. This made the spaces more flexible for different types of events. They also upgraded all the technology in the building. This was the biggest building project in San Antonio's history!
The "eastern expansion" started in 2014. The older "western wing" of the center was taken down. This made room for a new entrance and green spaces. This old wing was part of the original building from 1968. The expansion added the "Stars at Night" ballroom and the new Market Street lobby.
Major Events Held Here
- PAX South: This is a very popular event for video game fans. In 2015, PAX South brought 40,000 visitors to the center. It happened again in 2016 and continues to be a big draw.
