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The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCCD) (formerly Dallas Convention Center) is a
convention center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
in the Convention Center District of
downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
Dallas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
. The "Dallas Memorial Auditorium" was a standalone multipurpose arena, designed by George Dahl in 1957. Dahl was responsible for the renowned Art Deco buildings at the Dallas
Fair Park Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex in Dallas, Texas, United States, located immediately east of downtown. The area is registered as a Dallas Landmark and National Historic Landmark; many of the buildings were constructed for t ...
, as well as many other Texas landmarks. The Convention Center additions were designed by
Larry Oltmanns Larry Oltmanns (born 1951, in Rockford, Illinois, United States) is an American architect. He has achieved recognition for his work as an architect and master planner of large-scale mixed-use developments worldwide. Oltmanns is Design Director ...
, who was a Design Partner with
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is an American architectural, urban planning and engineering firm. It was founded in 1936 by Louis Skidmore and Nathaniel Owings in Chicago, Illinois. In 1939, they were joined by engineer John Merrill. The fir ...
at the time. On February 9, 2022, the Dallas City Council voted to take steps toward demolishing the convention center and replacing it with a new one.Dallas moves forward on plans to build new downtown convention center
Retrieved on February 10, 2022.


About

The center is over in size and contains over of exhibit space. The largest contiguous exhibit space in the structure is . A column-free exhibit hall is the largest of its kind in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. It is annually used for the Dallas Auto Show.Dallas Convention Center

Facility Overview
. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
The east side of the structure contains the original element of the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, a 9,816-seat
arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
. The complex also houses a 1,740-seat
theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
, 105 meeting rooms, and two gigantic
ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic ...
s. In May 2009, voters approved the construction of the
Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel The Omni Dallas Hotel is a 23-story, 1001-room hotel at the Convention Center District in Dallas, Texas. The $500 million hotel is owned by the City of Dallas, managed by Omni Hotels & Resorts and is attached directly to the Dallas Convention ...
, a 1,000 room hotel that is attached to the Convention Center. It opened in late 2011, under budget and ahead of schedule.


History

The Dallas Memorial Auditorium was originally constructed in 1957 near the intersection of Canton and Akard Streets. While the auditorium still hosts many smaller events, its antiquated facilities and technology, along with the fact that it is not compliant with the
Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
, have kept it less busy than in the past. In 1973, the center was expanded and renamed the Dallas Convention Center; the expansion was designed by local architects Omniplan. The center was expanded again in 1984 and once more in 1994,Dallas Convention Center

History
. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.
when
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a transit agency serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex of Texas. It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and twelve of its suburbs. In , the system ha ...
constructed the Convention Center Station underneath the west-wing of the facility, connecting it to the and light rail lines. The most-recent addition to the facility was completed in 2002. The complex was renamed in honor of former
US Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and power ...
Kay Bailey Hutchison Kay Bailey Hutchison (born Kathryn Ann Bailey; July 22, 1943) is an American attorney, television correspondent, politician, diplomat, and was the 22nd United States Permanent Representative to NATO from 2017 until 2021. A member of the Republic ...
in 2013.


Notable tenants and events

The venue was once home of the Dallas Chaparrals/
Texas Chaparrals These redirects lead to their targets in accordance with the naming conventions for common names and can help with writing and searches. Do not replace these redirected links with piped links. See also * Wikipedia:Naming conventions (common n ...
of the
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...
, who played in Dallas from the 1967-68 season through the 1972-73 season. The team moved to San Antonio in 1973 and became the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
. On August 22, 1973,
The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...
held a concert in the auditorium. While on a five city tour in the final week of 1976,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
performed at the Dallas Convention Center on December 28. The concert was recorded and later released on the Follow That Dream collectors label with the title of ''Showtime!'' On April 1, 1977,
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
opened what would become their last American tour together in the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, their sixth time performing at the venue. In October 1978,
Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
played at the Convention Center during their US tour, and the music video for " Fat Bottomed Girls" was filmed at the center.
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...
had two concerts at the venue: once in 1981 and again in 2000. Other performers who held concerts here include:
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...
,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...
,
The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...
,
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...
,
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...
,
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
,
Thin Lizzy Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or som ...
, and
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...
. The Dallas Convention Center was the site of the 1984 Republican National Convention. President Ronald Reagan accepted the nomination for a second term there on Aug. 23, 1984. Together with
Reunion Arena Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena served as the primary home of the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars and the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks. The ...
, the center was an emergency shelter for thousands of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
refugees in September 2005. Beginning in 2014, the center became the venue for
Fan Expo Dallas Fan Expo Dallas, previously known as Dallas Comic Con (or DCC for short), is a three-day speculative fiction, (including comic books and gaming) fan convention held annually in the Dallas, Texas area. Larger in scale than the Dallas Fan Days event ...
. From March 31 to April 3, 2016, WWE hosted the WrestleMania Axxess convention at the center, as part of the lead-up to
WrestleMania 32 WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
at
AT&T Stadium AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is a retractable-roof stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL), and was completed on May 27, 2009. It is also the ho ...
in Arlington. As part of the event, it also hosted '' NXT TakeOver: Dallas'' on April 1. On August 17, 2019, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, addressed l
Non-resident Indians Overseas Indians (IAST: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) are Indians who live outside of the Republic of India. According to the Government of India, ''Non-Resident Indians'' are citizens of Indi ...
. Starting in April 2021 and running through April 2024 the annual
VEX Robotics Competition VEX Robotics is a robotics program for elementary through university students, and a subset of Innovation First International. The VEX Robotics competitions and programs are managed by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (RECF). In ...
World Championships will return to the center. The VEX Robotics World Championship had been previously hosted at the center in 2009 and 2010.


Transportation and Access

The convention center offers a parking garage and three surface parking lots (Lots C and E). Public transportation is available with Amtrak and the Trinity Railway Express serving the
Dallas Union Station Dallas Union Station, officially Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station (or simply EBJ Union Station), also known as Dallas Union Terminal, is a large intermodal railroad station in Dallas, Texas. It is the third busiest Amtrak station in Texas, beh ...
to the northeast of the Convention Center.Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, Transportation and Parking. Accessed November 14, 2022.
/ref> One of the world's largest
heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...
/
vertiport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. ...
facilities sits atop the structure and 75 truck berths line its docks. The
Dallas CBD Vertiport Dallas CBD Vertiport is a city-owned public heliport/vertiport in the city of Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States. The facility is located at the south end of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in the Dallas Central Business D ...
, located at the south end of the complex, has two
concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
final approach and takeoff areas (FATOs). Federal Aviation Administration. Effective April 26, 2018. and of flight deck, and is capable of handling both helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft.


External links


World Class Memories: Virtual WCCW Tour - DALLAS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM


* ttp://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fda86 Tshaonline.org: Dallas Convention Center


References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Dallas Convention centers in Texas Downtown Dallas Economy of Dallas Skidmore, Owings & Merrill buildings Tourist attractions in Dallas Theatres in Texas Music venues in Dallas Music venues in Texas Indoor arenas in Texas