Myriad Convention Center facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Prairie Surf Studios

Former names	Myriad Convention Center (1972–2002) Cox Convention Center (2002–2021)
Address	1 Myriad Gardens Oklahoma City, OK 73102-9219
Location	Downtown Oklahoma City
Coordinates	35°27′55″N 97°30′52″W / 35.46528°N 97.51444°W / 35.46528; -97.51444
Public transit	OKC Streetcar Century Center OKC Streetcar Arena
Owner	City of Oklahoma City
Operator	SMG
Capacity	Basketball: 13,846 Ice hockey: 13,399 Arena football: 13,231 Concerts: 15,634
Construction
Broke ground	1969
Opened	November 5, 1972
Closed	2025
Demolished	March 2025-present
Construction cost	$23 million ($184 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Bozalis, Dickinson & Roloff
General contractor	H.A. Lott Inc.
Tenants
Oklahoma City Blazers (CHL) (1973–77) Oklahoma City Stars (CHL) (1978–82) Oklahoma City Cavalry (CBA) (1990–97) Oklahoma City Blazers (CHL) (1992–2002) Oklahoma Coyotes (RHI) (1995–96) Oklahoma Wranglers (AFL) (2000–01) Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (af2/AFL) (2009–10) Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) (2010–15) Bricktown Brawlers (IFL) (2011) Oklahoma City Blue (NBA G League) (2014–2019)

Prairie Surf Studios was a cool place in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where movies were made. Before that, it was a big convention center. It was also home to many sports teams.

Right now, the building is being taken down. A brand new basketball arena will be built in its place.

A Look Back: The Story of Prairie Surf Studios

The building first opened on November 5, 1972. It was called the Myriad Convention Center. It was a big part of a plan to make downtown Oklahoma City better. This plan also helped create the Myriad Botanical Gardens nearby.

The Myriad Convention Center got a major update between 1997 and 1999. This project cost about $55.8 million. Later, it was renamed the Cox Convention Center. This happened because of a sponsorship with a company called Cox Communications.

The Cox Convention Center was mostly used for large meetings and events. It also hosted big concerts and conferences. The building had many meeting rooms and a huge arena with 15,000 seats. When it first opened, it was the main place for sports and concerts in Oklahoma City. It kept this role for 30 years. In 2002, the Ford Center (now called the Paycom Center) opened right across the street. This new venue then became the city's main spot for big events.

The arena also received another upgrade in 2010. This was to welcome the Oklahoma City Barons, a hockey team.

Sports and Entertainment History

Over the years, the arena was home to several sports teams. These included the Oklahoma City Blazers hockey team in the 1970s. Another Blazers team played there from 1992 to 2002. Other teams included the Oklahoma City Cavalry (basketball), Bricktown Brawlers (indoor football), and the Oklahoma City Blue (basketball).

The center also hosted the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's National Finals Rodeo from 1979 to 1984. It was a popular spot for college basketball games, including early rounds of the NCAA tournament. In 2007 and 2009, it hosted the Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament. Even a UFC Fight Night: Diaz vs. Guillard event took place there in 2009.

Making Movies: Prairie Surf Studios

In 2021, the building changed its purpose. Oklahoma City worked with Prairie Surf Media. The convention center space was turned into sound stages and offices for a film company. On January 1, 2021, the building officially became Prairie Surf Studios.

Matt Payne and Rachel Cannon owned the new film studio. It had five large sound stages. The biggest stage was an impressive 35,000 square feet! Many movies and TV shows were filmed there. Some famous productions included Killers of the Flower Moon and the first season of Tulsa King. Other films like American Underdog and Twisters also used the studio.

In September 2023, Prairie Surf Studios started a new creative part of their company. Their goal was to make original movies and shows using talent from Oklahoma. They worked on a documentary about Clara Luper. Their first feature film documentary, The Accelerator, was about The Manhattan Project. It was shown at the deadCENTER Film Festival in June 2024.

Getting Around: Transportation

The Prairie Surf Studios was easy to reach by public transport. The Oklahoma City Streetcar served the area. You could get off at the Century Center station to visit the studios.

See also

In Spanish: Cox Convention Center para niños