Look ahead for a massive, circular building with sand-colored pillars and a shallow, blue dome on top, right beside a big sign that says "CENTURY II"-that’s your unmistakable landmark!
Now, stop and soak up the scene-welcome to the Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, a place where the spirit of Wichita decided to dress up in architectural style! This building might remind you of a gigantic spaceship that landed in the heart of Kansas, but don’t worry, no aliens here-just lots of music, drama, and a lively community spirit. When Century II opened its doors in 1969, Wichita was turning 100 years old and wanted to celebrate in style. Local architect John Hickman, who once learned tricks of the trade from the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, conjured up this sweeping circular structure. Hickman wanted the warm, sand-colored pillars to stand for endless wheat fields and that pale blue dome to capture the wide Kansas sky-so basically, this building is one big love letter to Kansas itself.
But before this futuristic masterpiece arrived, the site hosted The Forum, a much older venue built in 1911 that had definitely seen better, less leaky days by the 1960s. Wichita needed a bigger stage, and boy, did they get one. Today, Century II is home to performances by the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, the Wichita Grand Opera, and not one, but two theater companies-talk about a busy calendar! If you’re hearing a phantom pipe organ in your imagination, you’re not entirely wrong: the 1926 Wurlitzer organ that once shook the walls at New York’s Paramount Theatre moved here in the 1970s, and it’s been belting out grand melodies ever since.
Inside, the circular lobby wraps around three performance halls like a huge donut-each wedge-shaped chunk ready to host up to 4,700 excited fans, bowlers, or even beauty queens (yes, Century II hosted Miss USA and Miss Teen USA in the ‘90s). The building even expanded in the ‘80s, adding a whole new hall and, later, a shiny new hotel next door. And in 2010, Century II got a little glow-up with fresh seats, new paint, and some fancy drapes, although their attempt at a snazzy new logo was a flop-proving that in Wichita, the building is far more timeless than the branding!
