Von Braun Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Von Braun Center |
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Aerial view of complex (c.2016)
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| Address | 700 Monroe Street |
| Location | Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 34°43′37″N 86°35′27″W / 34.726990°N 86.590887°W |
| Owner | City of Huntsville |
| Operator | Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| Opened | March 14, 1975 |
| Renovated |
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Construction cost
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$15 million ($98.9 million in 2022 dollars ) |
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Former names
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Huntsville Civic Center (planning/construction) Von Braun Civic Center (1975-97) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 6,700 (South Hall) 1,365 (East Hall) 1,200 (North Hall) |
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Theatre seating
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8,300 (Propst Arena) 1,955 (Smith Concert Hall) 1,575 (Mars Music Hall) 502 (The Playhouse) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 368,938 square feet (34,275.5 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 148,864 square feet (13,829.9 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 38,668 square feet (3,592.4 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 37,544 square feet (3,488.0 m2) |
| Website | |
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Building details
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| General information | |
| Current tenants | Alabama-Huntsville Chargers (NCAA) (1979–present) Huntsville Lasers (GBA) (1991–92) Huntsville Blast (ECHL) (1993–94) Huntsville Tornado (CHL) (2000–2001) Huntsville Channel Cats (SHL/CHL/SEHL) (1995–2000, 2003–04) Huntsville Fire (EISL) (1997–98) Tennessee Valley Vipers (af2) (2000–04, 2006–09) Huntsville Flight (NBDL) (2001–05) Huntsville Havoc (SPHL) (2004–present) Tennessee Valley Raptors (UIF) (2005) Alabama Vipers (AFL) (2010) Alabama Hammers (SIFL/PIFL) (2011–15) |
| Groundbreaking | February 23, 1973 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Booz-Allen-Hamilton |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Matheny Goldmon |
| Structural engineer | Hodnett Hurst Engineers, Inc. and Geiger Engineers |
| Services engineer | Peter Basso Associates |
| Civil engineer | CRS Engineering, Inc. |
| Other designers | AVANT ACOUSTICS LLC and Peerbolte Creative LLC |
| Main contractor | VCC |
The Von Braun Center (VBC) is a large entertainment and event complex in Huntsville, Alabama. It was known as the Von Braun Civic Center until 1997. This huge facility has an arena that can hold up to 9,000 people.
The VBC first opened its doors in 1975. Since then, it has grown with many new additions. Today, the complex includes several exhibit halls, a concert hall, a playhouse, a music venue, and other spaces for meetings and shows.
Contents
History of the Von Braun Center
The center is named after Wernher von Braun, a famous rocket scientist. He was a German-American who helped create the United States space program. Von Braun and his team came to the United States Army's Redstone Arsenal after World War II. Their work was very important for space exploration.
Building the Original Center
Plans for the VBC began in 1965. The first buildings included a sports arena and an exhibit hall, now called East Hall. There was also a concert hall, a playhouse, and a space for the Huntsville Museum of Art. The arena could seat about 8,000 people for concerts. It also had scoreboards and a special floor for ice events.
The concert hall had rooms for orchestra practice and performers. The entire facility, first called the "Von Braun Civic Center," opened on March 14, 1975.
Growing Over the Years
The VBC's first expansion happened in 1980. A new section, originally called West Hall, was added to the exhibit space. This area is now part of East Hall. In 1983, bigger kitchen facilities were built for catering.
North Hall was added in 1987. This area was designed for fancy exhibits and ballroom events. It featured carpeting and decorative lights. It also has a gallery on the second floor and many meeting rooms.
In 1993, Huntsville wanted to host a big bowling event. To make space for bowling lanes and exhibits, the city built South Hall. This large hall opened in 1997. Around this time, the name changed to simply "Von Braun Center."
South Hall is the biggest exhibit space at the VBC, with over 100,000 square feet. It has a large lobby, a ballroom that can be divided, and underground parking. A skywalk was added in 2006 to connect South Hall to a nearby hotel.
Modern Updates and New Venues
The oldest parts of the VBC were updated in 2011. These improvements included new seats in the arena and new lobbies for the arena and concert hall. The outside of the building also got a fresh new look.
In 2020, another expansion brought Mars Music Hall and Rhythm on Monroe. Mars Music Hall is a cool music venue. It can hold about 1,100 people standing or 800 seated. Rhythm on Monroe is a restaurant with different food options and a rooftop bar.
Major updates to North Hall, the high-end exhibit space, were finished in 2023.
Elvis Presley's Historic Performances
According to the Von Braun Center's website, Elvis Presley performed there five times in a row. These shows took place from May 30 to June 1, 1975. It was the first time Elvis had done so many consecutive shows outside of Las Vegas or Stateline, Nevada.
Sports and Exciting Events
The VBC is home to the Huntsville Havoc ice hockey team, part of the SPHL.
Many other sports teams have played at the VBC over the years. These include basketball teams like the Huntsville Lasers and Huntsville Flight. Ice hockey teams like the Huntsville Blast and Huntsville Channel Cats also played here. The Huntsville Fire soccer team and the Alabama Vipers arena football team were also tenants. The UAH Chargers ice hockey team and the Alabama Hammers also called the VBC home.
On February 10, 2007, the Huntsville Havoc played the Knoxville Ice Bears. A record 7,083 fans came to watch, making it the biggest crowd for a sporting event at the VBC.
The VBC has also hosted major wrestling events. It was the site of the first-ever Total Nonstop Action Wrestling show. WWE held an episode of WWE Raw there in 2003. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) also brought its AEW Dynamite show to the arena in 2020 and 2024.
Since 2024, the VBC has hosted the conference basketball tournament for both men's and women's teams from Conference USA.
Entertainment and Culture
The arena has hosted many concerts by famous rock, pop, and country music artists. The band Kansas filmed three music videos for their Monolith Album at the Von Braun Center. These videos were for the songs "On the Other Side," "Away from You," and "People of the South Wind."
The VBC Concert Hall has been the main stage for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra since 1975. It also hosts shows from the Broadway Theater League. The playhouse is home to Theatre Huntsville, the Fantasy Playhouse Children's Theater, and the Jim Parker Songwriters Series. Many community events also take place there.
The yearly Panoply of the Arts festival happens in Big Spring Park, right next to the VBC. The VBC also provides space for the FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) Rocket City Regional event.
The Huntsville Museum of Art was located at the VBC from its opening until 1998. The museum then moved to its own building nearby. The old museum space is now used for VBC staff offices.
Expansion and Renaming
On October 23, 2008, it was announced that the VBC Arena would get a huge $15 million renovation. It was then renamed the Propst Arena, after a family that donated $5 million for the project. On February 5, 2010, work began on more renovations for what is now known as the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall.
See also
- List of convention centers in the United States
