Date: 1960

 

Description: This is a program for a figure skating show called Fantasy on Ice, held at the Municipal Auditorium. Sioux City did not have a formal public venue for events until the late 19th century, with the Academy of Music (a small music venue) and The Peavey Grand Opera House. By the turn of the 20th century there was demand for a large venue for events that were not theatre or sports. A new facility called simply the Auditorium was constructed in 1909. The main shows were theatre productions, but there were also a number of music performances, comedy acts, circus acts, and ballets. The Auditorium was in operation until the 1930s, when it was no longer meeting the needs of the city. The Municipal Auditorium was designed in 1938 but funds were delayed for construction due to the economic struggles after the Depression. Construction began officially in 1941 but was quickly halted due to the events of World War II. Work resumed in 1947 but the project ran into more difficulties with funding because of post-war inflation. After a long struggle and nearly $3 million invested, the Municipal Auditorium was completed in 1950. For over 50 years the auditorium was the largest and main public venue in the city, hosting graduations, concerts, and sporting events. The Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, the Sioux City Musketeers, and the Sioux City Bandits all at one time called the Municipal Auditorium home. At the turn of the millennium the auditorium was much too small, seating only 4,500, and unfit for the needs of the new era. In 2003 the city began a project that would ultimately become the Tyson Event Center, with the Gateway Arena inside that seats over 12,000. The new center was built connected to the old Municipal Auditorium. Long Lines, a local telecommunications company, wanted to preserve the old auditorium and turned it into a recreation complex with basketball, volleyball, batting cage and rock wall.

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