The below photograph, taken by local photographer Lawrence Cantrell, shows a packed house gathered to celebrate the opening of the Mobile Civic Center in 1964. The Civic Center, then known as the Mobile Municipal Auditorium, held its grand opening that summer, which was a “Holiday on Ice” show meant to entertain crowds while showing off the modern capabilities of the new event venue. The floor of the arena was covered in ice for the 90-minute ice skating show featuring 100 performers. The show ran for six nights and two matinees between July 9 and 14 in celebration of the grand opening. Before the center’s official opening, it had already booked a full roster of events, including the annual Junior Miss Pageant, several Mobile Symphony concerts and spades of Mardi Gras balls. The Civic Center cost $10 million to construct in 1964, about $98.2 million today.