SeattleChange
301 W 13th S, Kansas City, MO
The first Convention Hall no longer stands, but it paved the way for the current Convention Center that spans eight city blocks and boasts a variety of spaces to accommodate events from UMKC basketball games to car shows.
Convention Hall opened on February 22, 1899 with a performance by John Phillip Sousa’s band. It hosted other notable guests before burning to the ground in April 1900, just three months before the Democratic National Convention was slated to be held at the venue.
The community banded together to raise funds and complete a brand new building to replace the Convention Hall in time to host the Democratic National Convention. After opening the second Convention Center just in time for the Democratic National Convention it went on to host more notable events, including a Republican National Convention, before being replaced by the Municipal Auditorium.