Pla-Mor Ballroom

The Pla-Mor Ballroom was a multi-purpose event center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The venue was primarily a music hall used most often for jazz performances but also contained a bowling alley, swimming pool, ballroom, billiard hall and adjacent ice rink.

History
Opened in November of 1927, the Pla-Mor Ballroom billed itself as the largest indoor amusement center in the United States. The venue was a hub of activity for jazz musicians during the interwar years, holding concerts for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra. Beneath the ballroom were facilities for bowling and billiards while an ice rink was built in an adjacent building. In 1931, a swimming pool was added to the complex. At the time it was the largest indoor pool west of the Mississippi River and helped the venue remain a popular attraction for the rest of the decade.

After the start of World War II, the Ballroom saw diminishing crowds. This was partly due to the war but more so because of the movement of residents to the suburban parts of the city. With dwindling attendance and the loss of the local ice hockey team in 1951, the Ballroom was closed by the end of the year. The building remained untouched for 20 years before it was demolished to make room for a car dealership.