Emens College-Community Auditorium

"As fine a hall as the Salzburg Festspiel Haus and better than the San Francisco Opera House . . ." Spoken by Heinrich Keilholz, an acoustical engineer from Hamburg, Germany, these words are in praise of John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium.

Ball State University's sixth president, John R. Emens (1945-1968), had a dream. He envisioned a "campus of the future" complete with an auditorium "large enough to house most college functions as well as major symphonies, Broadway productions, ballets, and other forms of entertainment for Muncie and east central Indiana audiences." Since the grand opening in 1964, many world renowned artists, individuals, musicians, and shows have graced the stage of Emens Auditorium. Legendary performances range from President Ford, David Letterman, Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong, Victor Borge, Magician David Copperfield, comedian Adam Sandler, musical Cats and Les Miserables, Red Skelton, B. B. King, The Temptations, Third Eye Blind, and the Dixie Chicks.