Clowes Memorial Hall is getting some much-needed upgrades in 2025 thanks to a $9 million grant from The Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation.
Butler University President James ‘Jim’ Danko announced the grant-funded plans for the multi-phased renovations of Clowes Memorial Hall and construction of The Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom during a press conference on Dec. 18. The renovations are expected to begin in June 2025 and roll out in four phases, kickstarting the $100 Million Midtown Arts District.
“Clowes Hall led the uplifting and renewal of the city,” Danko said. “Butler would likely not have achieved its national reputation for the arts, academically or as an entertainment destination had it not been for the construction of Clowes Memorial Hall in 1963.”
Butler University’s $9 million gift marks the second largest gift ever awarded by the AW Clowes Charitable Foundation, which pays tribute to its namesake Allen Whitehill Clowes who helped make the $3.5 million construction possible through major donations, Danko said.
Originally housing the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Clowes Memorial Hall currently seats 2,148 patrons, making it a growing destination venue for Broadway shows, concerts and comedians, according to Aaron Hurt, VP of arts, events and enterprise.
“We’re truly like the model here, how do we become the center hub for arts as well as arts education, but then entertainment too?” Hurt said. “I don’t think anybody in the Midwest has got that exactly solidified yet. I think we have a huge shot at it right now because of this grant watching us.”
Beginning in June 2025, Clowes Memorial Hall will close to undergo transformative renovations to improve accessibility, comfort and capability for patrons and performers.
“This building was built in the ‘60s and was overbuilt, and that’s why we’re still able to operate at the high level we are now,” Hurt said. “Everything we’re doing investment-wise is how we take that same mindset so that in another 60 years, we’re like, ‘Thank goodness we did that.’”
Phase one focuses on upgrading seating throughout the theater’s three balcony terraces to raked seating, thus improving the line of sight from every seat in the venue. Open-air suites with couches, TVs and bar service will also be added to the “dead space” behind the balcony seating to provide guests with a more luxurious experience.
READ MORE: ‘Afrofuturism in Costume Design’ coming to Children’s Museum in 2025
Restrooms are always guests’ biggest complaint, Hurt said, and the phase one renovations will include adding restrooms to each floor, including 13 gender neutral restrooms to create a more inclusive environment.
Phase two aims to improve operational efficiency of Clowes Memorial Hall through the installation of two additional loading docks — bringing the venue’s total to four — which would allow for “smoother logistics and enhanced capabilities” when large-scale events and Broadway touring productions use the venue.
The original stage built in 1963 is currently in use and in need of replacing, Hurt said. Phase three addresses this issue by replacing it, adding rigging points, tech capabilities and reinforced flooring to better accommodate the demands of modern Broadway tours.
“As touring shows are getting bigger, they’re getting heavier,” Hurt said. “When we brought that (‘Phantom of the Opera’) here, we had to install a special rigging beam to even be able to handle that (chandelier). And thank God we did because we use that thing almost every show.”
Phase four introduces the construction of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom, a multi-purpose convention hall between Clowes and the Sunset Avenue parking garage, which is set to open spring 2027.
The Clowes Memorial Hall renovation and expansion projects are only the beginning, Danko said, as they lay the groundwork for the development of a $100 million Midtown Arts District, which includes the construction of The Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom and an outdoor plaza south of Clowes Memorial Hall for patrons to safely mingle and queue before entering venues, Danko said.
“The district is a transformational part of the Gateway Project, the university’s master plan to create a vibrant and interconnected community between Butler University and Midtown Indianapolis,” Danko said. The Midtown Arts District will be an accessible hub for live performances, lectures, exhibits and world class arts education.”
Clowes Memorial Hall is expected to close for the first three phases of renovations beginning in June 2025 and will reopen in October 2025. The Allen Whitehill Clowes Ballroom is anticipated to open in spring 2027. For more information, visit butler.edu/gateway.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
