The Civic Auditorium was built for $300,000 by Dr. W.E Upjohn between 1929 and 1931 in order to serve as the home for the Civic Players and to provide office space for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. The photograph on the left was taken by local photographer, Mamie Austin, in 1940 and shows the the Auditorium in its early years. The photograph on the right was taken in 2012 by WMU School of Art student Ashley Barnum. The auditorium is still in operation today, as are the Civic Players and as of 2014 are celebrating their 85th anniversary.