In 1927, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and the city jointly purchased the land that would become home to a municipal auditorium after voters approved a $4 million bond for the site. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs in the 1930s contributed 55 percent of the cost of building through the Public Works Administration. J. O. Parr began planning and designing the Municipal Auditorium, budgeted at $1.25 million. The original design features a six-story building with both neoclassical and Art Deco features that seated 6,200 in the main hall and smaller theatre that seated 400.
In August 1935, the Roosevelt Administration announced that all PWA projects had to break ground by December 1935 or risk losing federal support. W. S. Bellows Construction became the primary contractor and began on-site excavation on time. The Municipal Auditorium was completed in April 1937. The first performance, "Rhapsodic Rhythms" took place on October 4, 1937.
The Oklahoma Art Center, a community art center administered by the Federal Art Project, was located in Municipal Auditorium. Fundraising campaigns began for the successful organization as the Federal Art Project came to an end, and in May 1945 the Oklahoma Art Center was incorporated. In 1989 it was merged into the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
In 1966, the Municipal Auditorium was remodeled and renamed the Civic Center Music Hall. The main auditorium was renovated to cater more to the performing arts by decreasing the size of the hall, moving the side wall in and installing mahogany panels, lowering the ceiling and replacing the portable floor with a sloped fixed floor. In 1971, the basement was converted into office space and later converted back to the theatre space and dressing rooms. One of the biggest concerts to ever play the venue was KISS on their 1976 Alive! tour. The band's opening act did not make it to the building forcing the management to find a new opening act on the day of the show. The band that was called to fill in was referred by the then Assistant Technical Director Richard Charnay (who would put in a 40+ year career at the music hall). The band was called Mountain Smoke which featured an unknown artist by the name of Vince Gill, and the rest is KISStory.
The Little Theatre was closed in 1985 because it was damaged from old age, abuse, and a fire. It was later renovated and reopened to the public.
In September 2001, the Civic Center Music Hall reopened after a three-year renovation. A complete interior renovation of the historic Civic Center Music Hall includes accommodations for major theatrical, dance and musical groups; a multi-story atrium; balconies, box seats and suites; excellent acoustics; and a hydraulic orchestra pit.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
The ad is for a concert at the Municipal Auditorium by Bill Haley and his Comets on Oct 16, 1955.
Current events at the Civic Center Music Hall are:
On Your Feet Feb 5-10
OKC Philharmonic- Classic Debussey Printemps Feb 16
OKC Ballet- A Triple Bill Visionaries Feb 22-24
Shen Yun Feb 25-26