Stephens Auditorium
Stephens Auditorium Phone: (515) 294-3347About Stephens Auditorium The Iowa State Center began as the dream of James H. Hilton, who graduated from Iowa State University in Dairy Science and served as University President from 1953-1965. He proposed the idea of an educational/cultural/athletic complex at the 1954 fall faculty convocation.
Clifford Y. Stephens, another Iowa State University alumnus, led donations with a one million dollar gift toward the Center’s construction of a performing arts auditorium. C.Y. Stephen’s gift came from the dream that he shared with Hilton. He felt passionately that a person’s first great need was the opportunity to get an education and believed all students should have an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the fine arts, which he considered necessary for adequate living. Thanks to their fundrasing efforts, the Iowa State Center was constructed without using any state funds.
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra opened Stephens Auditorium in the fall of 1969 with a five-performance, week-long festival. Hilton Coliseum opened in 1971 followed by Fisher Theater in 1974 and Scheman Building in 1975.
At the dedication of the building in 1969, C.Y. Stephen's widow expressed her hope that “within the walls of the C.Y. Stephens Auditorium, countless persons will experience a newborn appreciation for the performing arts in the decades to come. There could be no more fitting tribute to the memory of my husband who discovered his love for the theater as a student on this campus more than four decades ago.” Directions to Stephens Auditorium
From Des Moines (south):
- Interstate 35 north to exit 111B
- US Highway 30 west to University Boulevard (formerly Elwood Drive) exit 146
- Right onto University Blvd. north to Iowa State Center
-Left onto Center Drive
From Davenport (east):
-Interstate 80 west to Des Moines
-Interstate 35 north to exit 111B
-US Highway 30 west to University Boulevard (formerly Elwood Drive) exit 146
-Right onto University Blvd. north to Iowa State Center
-Left onto Center Drive
From Omaha (west):
-Interstate 80 east to Des Moines
-Interstate 35 north to exit 111B
-US Highway 30 west to University Boulevard (formerly Elwood Drive) exit 146
-Right onto University Blvd. north to Iowa State Center
-Left onto Center Drive
From Minneapolis (north):
- Interstate 35 south to exit 111B (second Ames exit)
- US Highway 30 west to University Boulevard (formerly Elwood Drive) exit 146
- Right onto University Blvd. north to Iowa State Center
- Left onto Center Drive
From Kansas City :
- Interstate 35 north to Des Moines
- Follow above as for Des Moines
Stephens Auditorium Parking
Complimentary parking is available for all Performing Arts Series performances at Stephens Auditorium or Fisher Theater in any lot within the complex. Parking for all other events is available at a variety of surface and street lots around the Iowa State Center.
Accessibility  
Should you require special accommodations, please make arrangements with the Ticket Office when purchasing tickets. When possible we will arrange to provide sign language interpretation and tape-recorded programs; requests for these services must be made one month in advance.
* Designated parking for mobility- impaired guests is available in the fire lane located west of Stephens Auditorium.
* Seating for guests with disabilities is available for all performances. Please contact the Iowa State Center Ticket Office (515-294-2479) for assistance.
* Elevators are located in the lobbies of all floors on the north side of Stephens Auditorium. |
