Women's Building at Fair Park

Originally designed for horse shows by day and operas by night.

The Women's Building was constructed in 1910 and served as Fair Park first coliseum. It was used for livestock auctions by day and musical theater performances by night. In 1936 this building was renovated and used as an administrative building for the Texas Centennial Expectations. The building was then used to complement the Art Deco facilities and they even added new art deco facade on the south face of the building.

By the early 1990s, the building was in total disrepair and unsafe. Also in need of repair was the symbolic showpiece of the building's façade, "The Spirit of the Centennial," a 15-foot-tall statue depicting a young woman rising from a cactus.

After having raised $30 million to renovate the building, The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future, a Smithsonian affiliate, opened in September 2000. The mission of The Women's Museum was to inspire, educate, and stimulate their audience through the exploration of the successes, experiences, contributions and potential of women. However, due to financial challenges, the museum closed in October 2011.

Today, we refer to the structure as The Women's Building and it is opened for special events and exhibitions.