The anticipation builds in the Main Hall as people find their seats, peruse programs, and visit with friends and family. The orchestra tunes its instruments. The room is alive, crackling with a sense of urgency that comes only after weeks of waiting for the moment that is about to begin. Then, the lights go down and the curtain goes up.

It is here, in this moment, where friends and strangers begin to share a common experience that moves them to tears and cheers with such power, splendor and grace that it borders on magical. Each year, a quarter of a million people come to the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines and experience the wonder, the suspense, and the joy of live theater, with nothing between them and the actors but the drama of the moment.

It happens over and over again. The anticipation. The urgency. The applause. The cheers.
Since 1979, the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines has grown from a dream of a small group of local business leaders, to the cornerstone of the downtown Des Moines redevelopment initiative.

The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines will serve as an outstanding community performing arts center, accessible to all, where people may be educated, entertained and enlightened.