National Register of Historic Places

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building

Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas
Listed
September 4, 1985
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
85001981

About this property

Memorial Hall, or Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building, is a multi-purpose auditorium located in Kansas City, Kansas. The 3,500-seat auditorium, which has a permanent stage, is used for public assemblies, concerts and sporting events. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It was designed by architects Rose & Peterson in Georgian style. This venue was built in 1923 then opened in 1925 as a combination civic auditorium and war memorial for World War I veterans. Many iconic rock bands in the 1960s and 1970s played here. During its September 11, 1972 concert at Memorial Hall, Pink Floyd performed its first Kansas City metro concert and new concept album, The Dark Side of the Moon, five months before the record-setting album's release. REO Speedwagon recorded parts of their first live album, 1977's Live: You Get What You Play For, including the album's closing track, "Golden Country," at the venue on October 31, 1976. Side 4 of Peter Gabriel's 1983 double-LP, Plays Live, including the songs "Shock the Monkey", "Humdrum", "On the Air", and "Biko", was recorded at Memorial Hall on December 4, 1982. Memorial hall is home to the 20+ year WFTDA sanctioned Kansas City Roller Warriors various roller derby teams. KCRW often hosts out of town and international roller derby teams from around the country and globe. The league is made up of 100+ volunteers consisting of KC metro and surrounding residents that volunteer their time, effort and passion to making KCRW a successful organization. Memorial Hall hosted some games of the Kansas City Steers of the American Basketball League from 1961 to 1963. The earliest documented Pro Wrestling event at Memorial Hall took place on February 23, 1931, when Charlie Fischer defeated Billy Wolfe in 39 minutes. From the early 30's until the mid-1940s, Professional Wrestling ran twice a week all year long at Memorial Hall. From 1946- 1987, Professional Wrestling was held once a week, all year round. Professional wrestling was a Thursday-night tradition at the venue in the 1970s and 80's, presented by Central States Wrestling with cards often taped for the All-Star Wrestling telecast the following Sunday. After Bob Geigel closed down his World Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling ran there five times between 1990 and 1997. On April 23, 2009, the movie "K.C. On The Mat: The History of Professional Wrestling in Kansas City," premiered at Memorial Hall. The documentary focuses heavily on the importance of Memorial Hall. Legends of the past like Harley Race, Butch Reed, Roger Kirby and Bob Geigel all attended the premier.

Location

600 N. 7th St.
Kansas City, Wyandotte County, Kansas
39.11211, -94.62759

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Scottish Rite Temple
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wyandotte County Courthouse
Modern
0.1 mi
Huron Cemetery
Listed
0.2 mi
Kansas City, Kansas YMCA Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Schleifer-McAlpine House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Kansas City Skirmish 1861
1861Civil War
2.8 mi
Price's Raid — Battle of Westport
1864Civil War
4.7 mi
Battle of Westport – Westport Town Fighting
1864Civil War
5.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building listed on the National Register?

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building?

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building?

The period of significance for Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building?

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