The Three Grandstands that have been Located on the Front Straightaway of the Historic Half-mile Racetrack at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas

This photograph is of the first grandstand which was located near the south end of the front straightaway where the current grandstand is now.  It was built around the same time the racetrack was in 1910.  It measured 280 feet long, 64 feet deep, and was designed to seat 7,500 people making this the largest grandstand in the state of Kansas at the time.

This photograph was actually taken during a parade of prize livestock at one of the state fairs but it also shows the second grandstand that had been constructed along the north end of the front straightaway just to the north of the first grandstand.  The south grandstand remained in place until it was torn down after the 1927 state fair to make room for the current grandstand.  The north grandstand was not torn down until 1929.  The used lumber was used to construct other buildings on the state fairgrounds.  The total capacity of the two grandstands has been difficult to ascertain due to the common practice of also selling standing room only tickets to events in those days.

This photo was probably taken in the 1930s and shows the current grandstand that was constructed with prisoner labor for $325,000 in time for the 1928 state fair.  This grandstand was originally designed to have a seating capacity of 12,600.

All of the photographs on this web page are form the Reno County Museum collection

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