It was great to see Exploration Place drawing big crowds with its Titanic exhibition, which closed Sunday after a successful run that drew more than 70,000 people and made about $200,000 profit for the museum.
Hosting these blockbuster traveling exhibitions is looking like at least part of the solution for turning around the fiscally troubled science museum.
As Exploration Place president Al Meloni told The Eagle, “Wichita is ready for world-class quality. The arena’s got nothing to worry about. If you bring quality acts, people will always respond.”
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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9 Comments
mmmkay…
I basically agree that we will respond to quality venues and entertainment.But, I am very disappointed that ‘we’ settled for Flounder Mountain instead of a Bass Pro or Cabela’s.
We have a world class museum already, it’s “The Museum of World Treasures”, and the best thing about it is that is isn’t funded by tax monies. For those that haven’t been, it’s well worth it.
JayW you’re right, the Museum of World Treasures is a great place. There is a little something for everyone there. Although, I must say the mummy’s are a little creepy!
Randy, you’re right, but only if “they” don’t have to pay to park, hopefully within 200 feet of the door.
To address Mr. Meloni’s arena comment… promoters will bring acts that demographically fit the Wichita MSA market, who will attract enough buyers of $XXX priced tickets to hopefully make a profit. It’s market-driven, based on demographics and attendance history. Why, oh why, can’t people grasp this simple concept?
Mr. Meloni’s exhibition of Titanic was well placed, at the right time and price. Exploration Place deserves congratulations for this exhibit. Mr. Meloni will find that Wichitans want changing exhibits. The problem with many things at EP is the cost of replacing them as the public gets bored (rather quickly, unfortunately) with projects and exhibits.
Cheers to Exploration Place for finding something to spark Wichita’s interest. I wish them success in their furture endeavours.
LTB (Lions, Tigers, & Bears)
I saw the Dinosaur exhibit and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am hopeful that these exhibits will propel Exploration Place forward.
LTB - go over to the most recent Arena thread and check the suggestions that the City should sell Century II. As a professional I’d like to see your comments.
LBT Oh my,Yes, it’s market driven. All the more reason it should be privately funded and run. If taxpayers subsidize the arena, and at a half-billion or so initial cost when all’s said and done, they’ll have to, and the management will have no incentive to run it at a profit. We’ve seen that time and again!
“Congratulation Mr. Meloni, You are doing wonder job!”Next, some Leonardo, I wonder if we can borrow the Mona Lisa?
Ben-
I was reading it after I made the post above… I didn’t know about the nay-sayer’s jamboree, either.
Anyway, sell CII? Oddly enough, I today heard that Century II sits on a Superfund site. That’s the kind of liability that will take legislation to make go away. I have not personally researched the Superfund assertion, but it came from a person with long time connections to the facility (and still working, so it’s not a sour grapes thing).
I’ve worked in casinos, connected with contracted entertainment. That means I’m not an expert, but I’ve seen how the daily business is done. I suspect the renovation costs to put a gaming establishment under the dome would be significant. As businesses go, they have some pretty specific structural needs based on use.
Raising the roof… I’m not a structural engineer… but it’s a true dome, with radials that lead to a compression ring in the center. The only load born by the roof is some climate control, and the interior ceilings and attic catwalks. Oh, and rain, ice, and snow… But to raise it would seem to require an even, level lift. The Kansas wind might make that a challenge, too.
I don’t see Century II being a destination casino. I can see the site being used that way, however.
Let’s build a new library west of the river. Buy the Century Plaza building. Demolish the existing library and the CP building, and put a new performing arts center and convention meeting facilities there. Demolish the interior of Century II and level the floors to create nearly 16 acres of column-free exhibit space.
Somebody else can figure out where to build another hotel or 2.
Oddly I found myself agreeing with Mrage. 15000 seats IS too small, and much of my dire predictions are based on not getting sufficient sports revenue to compliment the concert income. Still, a bottom line is not made on a small handful of events… not for the facility, not the food & beverage purveyors, not for retailers. Having more, but smaller events is generally preferable to having a few large events.
If Phil Ruffin or anyone else wants to build a casino downtown, I suggest the West brothers might be persuaded to sell off the Watkins Steel property, and their holdings in Delano. I think they could supply the 16 or so acres Mr. Ruffin indicated a casino & hotel would require. No public land involved.
Time will tell. Will we listen?
LTB (Lions, Tigers, & Bears)