Facing what was once Capitol Park, now Linn Park, you find a 4,300-seat arena raised in 1924 as Birmingham's Municipal Auditorium, near City Hall. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb working with a committee of local architects, the building wears a layered history: a later renovation added lobby and meeting-room space in front of the original brick facade, giving the street view a decidedly modernist marble, aluminum and glass look. Renamed for Mayor Albert Boutwell, the auditorium remains city property and has served many lives - it was home to the Birmingham Power basketball team and, in 2022, hosted muay thai, sumo wrestling, and kickboxing events as part of the World Games.
Step inside in your imagination and you'll see the horseshoe-shaped seating with a stage at one end and a balcony opposite; the venue can be configured for athletic events, theatre, and other gatherings. The Birmingham Museum of Art adjoins the auditorium, and master plans for the museum have included expanding onto Boutwell's site. Beside it sits the Birmingham Museum of Art, whose own expansion plans have long eyed this very site.