Century II History - Century II - The Forum - William Greiffenstein Employment Friends of Century II Public Art - Concert Hall Foyer Gallery - Exterior - Interior
Looking northwest at intersection of Water & English Streets, circa 1950
Interior showing banquet setting, circa 1913
Equestrian competition, circa 1932
The Forum officially opened in 1911 with only the first section completed on the south end. By 1918, the Exposition Hall and Arcadia Theater on the north end had been completed. At the time the Forum was built, other proposed names for the facility included Hippodrome, Wigwam, and Wichitorium.
The Forum hosted a range of public events from the famous Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and the Polish pianist and composer Ignacy Paderewski to circuses and auto shows.
In the height of the 1960s, it was decided that the Forum no longer served its purpose as a civic center. The Forum, along with other 128 unattractive business and industry structures filling the area south of Douglas and between Main and the river, was razed to make room for the new Century II Convention Center.