KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A stretch of downtown Kansas City once helped get Hollywood films to the rest of the country.
In the 1930s, studios set up distribution hubs near 17th and 18th and Wyandotte, an area known as “Film Row.”
Three of those buildings still stand today, now repurposed for modern businesses.
Universal Pictures building
One building sits in the heart of what used to be called “Film Row,” just off Wyandotte near 17th and 18th.
In the 1930s, major studios used Kansas City’s central location and rail lines to ship movies nationwide. Universal Pictures was one of them, operating in the building.
The outline on the floor where heavy film vaults once sat is still visible.
“Their biggest fear was fire so they had these small contained vaults and then they had these skylights at the top to let the fire blow out,” said Doug Loveland of ACI Boland, which now occupies the building.
MGM and Columbia building
A few doors down, Helix now works in a building that once distributed films for MGM and Columbia.
“In the 30’s especially the film industry was booming and there were multiple studios that decided to establish kind of a hub,” said Alyssa Wehmueller of Helix.
Warner Brothers building
Across the street, Wallace Design Collective works inside the former Warner Brothers building, built specifically for the studio. Traces of where films were handled before heading back out nationwide remain.
“They would cut the films and then they would show those before they would send them back out… so we’re in the projection room and now you’re looking through the projection hole and out into the viewing area,” said Darcey Schumacher of Wallace Design Collective.
The reimagined spaces are being highlighted during KC Design Week, a celebration of the city’s creative community.
“It’s a week long or 8 day long celebration that spans 6-7 design disciplines,” said Dawn Taylor of KC Design Week.
KC Design Week wraps up Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Atkins Museum. Details are available at kcdesignweek.org.
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