Overhead curves a dramatic concrete dome that looks freshly built but is not — it dates to 1959. The dramatic concrete shell that forms the Long Center's signature roof is the original dome of Palmer Auditorium, Austin's mid-century Municipal Auditorium opened in 1959 on the shores of Town Lake. Palmer hosted concerts, conventions, and the famous 'Armadillo World Headquarters' shows of the 1970s Austin music scene before falling into disrepair.
When the city decided in the 1990s that Austin needed a proper performing arts center, planners chose to incorporate the historic shell rather than demolish it — a decision that saved both money and architectural memory. The Long Center opened in 2008 as the home of Austin Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Austin, and Austin Lyric Opera, finally giving the city the kind of major performing arts venue that its growing cultural ambitions demanded. The Dell Hall and the Topfer Theatre offer spaces for both large-scale and intimate productions.
Named for Joe and Teresa Long, whose $30 million gift anchored the capital campaign, the Long Center sits at the intersection of Butler Park and Lady Bird Lake with views that remind you why Mirabeau Lamar chose this bluff for a capital city.