The Wichita Forum was a place that made memories.
Located at 231 S. Water near the Arkansas River, the Forum operated as Wichita’s primary auditorium, convention center, performance arena, and exposition hall from 1911 to 1965. 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, auto shows, and rock-and-roll concerts. Source: www.century2.org/Pages/History.aspx
When the Forum showed its age in 1960 and Urban Renewal was in its heyday, the city razed 128 decrepit structures, including the Forum, to make room for the new Century II Convention Center. Barb Hammond created the map at right by superimposing a map of Century II on a map of the old Forum site, which is outlined in red.
Editor’s Note: A few of us started talking about the Forum and dug up all sorts of memories. We hope you will add your own memories by using the Comment Box below the story or sending them to mbellert@niu.edu.
Fred Elder: I was at the Forum as a part of a large Boy Scout gathering and also saw Cleo Littleton play basketball there. Elvis Presley performed two shows at the Forum on May 18, 1956. Wichita was one of only five stops in the Midwest where Elvis played multiple shows. It was sort of the central meeting point in Wichita. Besides, it was an interesting place, in its dilapidated sort of way.
The Forum could be lavishly decorated for ceremonial events. In this case garlands of flowers hung from the ceiling structures and the walls. This hall was also the site of large, elaborate banquets and dances.
Glenna Stearman Park: I remember going to the circus at The Forum. I was totally engaged with those beautiful ladies who did a form of pole dancing on the ropes. Told my mom I wanted to grow up to be one of those pretty ladies. She looked horrified. My parents bought me a chameleon on a string that I could attach to my blouse, and that was the end of circuses for me. The city-wide events for me were the front row symphony tickets. Besides enjoying the music, I got to see when the violinists’ strings broke on their bows, and I watched sweat dripping on all the musicians’ faces on hot nights.
Gerald Fry: My parents and I went to the Forum often, primarily to watch the great Cleo Littleton play basketball with the WU team. All the seats were great since it was a small venue. I probably went to a circus or two there.
Marilyn Tompkins Bellert: For my 5th birthday, my uncle gave me a complete cowgirl outfit – hat, fringed leather vest and skirt, cowgirl boots – and took my parents and me to a rodeo at the Forum. Which was the greatest thrill? My get-up, the daredevil riders or the beautiful horses? We went back in later years to see more rodeos and circuses. A bigger thrill at the Forum came in the fall of 9th grade, when I went with friends to one of many rock and roll concerts at the Forum. We saw live performances by Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, the Crickets, Frankie Lymon, Paul Anka, and the Drifters. At other concerts we saw the Everly Brothers, the Platters, and other groups. It did not get better than that!
Diane Rusch Zinn: Like so many others, seeing the circus was a special treat for me. How I marveled at the trapeze artists! The Forum was also the venue for the Ice Capades. I saw several performances, and the skating dazzled me. The last time I was there was the first summer that Dick Zinn and I dated. Ray Charles was performing, and he was one of our favorites. As I recall, Ray and his backups were within touching distance, so the music was definitely up close and personal.
Jane Thompson Olson: I have many memories of going to the Forum but two of them stand out.
Like many of you, I was a Patrol Girl in sixth grade at Fairmount School. In appreciation of our service, we were invited to attend the circus at the Forum. This was a huge treat for me as a ticket to the circus was not in my family’s budget. Not only did we get free admission, but we were also given coupons for a hot dog, drink and popcorn!! The smells, the sights, the sounds and all the performers in the three rings were fascinating and a bit overwhelming for me. I especially loved the trapeze artists flying high above the crowd, but the roar of the lions and tigers was a bit frightening as the trainer cracked his whip. It is really too bad that the traveling circus is a thing of the past.
My favorite memory of the Forum was getting to see Ricky Nelson in concert. My good friend, Allan Goodman from West High, invited me to go. Our box seats were in a special section close to the stage. (Allan’s uncle was the promoter for the show). As you may remember, “Here Come the Nelsons” was a popular TV show that many of us grew up with. The highlight of that TV show was when Ricky sang!! The ultimate dream come true was sitting in that box seat with Allan seeing Ricky sing “Poor Little Fool,” “Garden Party,” “Be Bop Baby,” “It’s Late,” “Travelin’ Man,” and “Hello Mary Lou.”
Barb Hammond: My memories of the Forum are somewhat dim; my family didn’t attend many events there. I do remember going to the circus at the Forum in 5th or 6th grade. We sat pretty close to the arena and I was nervous the whole way through because I thought the trapeze performers and the lion tamer would surely die horrible deaths. The beautiful bareback riders were my favorite (Ooh, glitter! Ooh, horses!), but I guess I was just a bit too timid for some of the other spectacles. I also didn’t like it when the man who sold the chameleons put one on my shoulder. I felt sorry for the little guy, who was on a leash that could be pinned to one’s clothing. In 8th grade, I declined an invitation to see Elvis at the Forum. I thought Elvis was creepy. So I was only a “tiny bit” jealous when my friend Karen James (East ’61; Kent James’ sister) got to be in a photo with Elvis that was published in the Eagle!
Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Barb for her help in researching the Forum and providing links to photos and posters.
Remember the big gate at the north end and the wall part-way around the building? There were side-shows and all sorts of food around in that space.
Tell us what you remember about the Forum
Future “Places We Remember” might include Innes Department Store, fishing and boating on the Arkansas and Ninnescah Rivers, riding Wichita buses, Kanopolis Reservoir, Kings-X, dancing at The Hangar, or Joyland. Send your recollections and we will put them together.
I did see :The King and I” when I was at Robinson. A girl invited me but I had never heard of him. I remember I did NOT tell my mother “all about the show” so when we later watched him together on TV, she understood why I was so frazzled and flushed when I came home.
I remember going to the “Police Circus” at the Forum. I guess it was sponsored by the police department.
I also remember going to a swap meet or some such event with a lot of tables sent up in the entry portion of the Forum. It was really crowded with people filing in lines around all the tables. I remember looking at items on the tables, but when I looked ahead my mother was no longer in front of me. I froze at the end of a table and it wasn’t long before she came to retrieve me. I guess freezing was the right thing to do.
Being the first child in my family and the only girl, the idea I figured out only relatively recently, was that I was a person that needed protecting. I think that has caused me not to be much of a risk taker. But as I look back, I handled all life has confronted me with successfully. I trust that will remain to be true.