History

The City Auditorium, formerly known as the Municipal Auditorium, is the culmination of efforts to create a large, multi-purpose meeting and entertainment facility for the city of Colorado Springs. In 1922 the City approved the construction of the project, and in 1923 the building was completed and opened to the public. As a joint effort among three prominent local architects --Thomas MacLaren, Charles E. Thomas and Thomas Hetherington -- the Auditorium was intended to be a fine example of local architecture and a testament to the community of Colorado Springs. The building’s total cost construction reached just over $424,000.

Once the Auditorium opened to the public, its flexibility in the programs it could accommodate allowed for a wide variety of events, including live musical performances, orchestras, ballet, Shakespeare plays, grain and feed expositions, graduation ceremonies, boxing matches and political rallies. The Auditorium has continued to serve in this varied capacity up to the present day. According to the City, prior to being repurposed as a shelter during Covid-19, events and private rentals were typically scheduled for 320 days out of the year.

The recent history of the Auditorium demonstrates its enduring importance to the City.  In 1995 the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, allowing it to be eligible for grants from Colorado’s State Historical Fund (SHF). Indeed, soon after its historic designation, the City was awarded two important SHF grants that would allow for the preservation of the building, namely replacing its deteriorated roof and restoring its exterior. Later grants would ensure the preservation of the WPA lobby murals.

In 2004 a local nonprofit group, the Friends of the Historic City Auditorium, formed to support the use and maintenance of the historic site as well as preserve the historic significance of the building.  Unfortunately, despite these efforts and due to the financial limitations of the City, the City Auditorium has several significant facility repair needs that have been deferred over time and remain unresolved to this day.