History of the Ford Wyoming Center
On April 17, 1982, the Casper Events Center, signature red, roof and all, stood tall above the city and opened its doors to the public for the first time. Since then, the building has been the home to thousands of memorable moments.
The Casper Events Center was made possible because of forward thinking City Council members and community leadership that chose to invest in the Casper area. Owned by the City of Casper, the facility was funded by the optional 1% sales tax. When it was completed in 1982, the facility's $22 million price tag was already completely paid for. Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass was the first musical act to take the stage in 1982 which spearheading entertainment in Wyoming for the next four decades.
When the building opened, then-Mayor Jerry Combs said, "History will record that the addition of the events center to the city of Casper during the energy boom of the 1970s and 80s will be one of the most significant additions to the city of Casper." Since that day, an estimated 6 million people have been through the doors of the Casper Event Center. Passionate leadership in the early days of the buildings' operations catapulted the facility to become a critical part of Casper and Wyoming's landscape, securing several large acts, long term contracts and events that continue to drive significant quality of life and economic impact for Casper.
The arena is host to the Wyoming High School Basketball, Volleyball, and Wrestling Tournaments, the Wyoming High School Art Symposium, Wyoming High School Marching Band Competition and Wyoming High School Spirit and Cheer Competition. In 2001, the Casper Events Center became the home of the College National Finals Rodeo, the national championship for collegiate rodeo. In addition to hosting champions, some of the biggest names in entertainment have come to the heart of Wyoming because of the facility including Garth Brooks (1998 & 2004), Red Hot Chili Peppers (2000), Elton John (2017), Eric Church (2017), Snoop Dogg (2016), Carrie Underwood (2016), The Eagles (2004), Foo Fighters (2017), Reba McEntire (2011).
In 2021, the Casper Events Center announced their new name, becoming the Ford Wyoming Center.
And all of this brings us here - celebrating 40 years of entertaining Wyoming in 2022. You see, this building is much more than a large structure that sits on the edge of town. The Ford Wyoming Center represents growth, change, resilience, opportunity and, our favorite, home.
Here's to forty more.