Facilities and Parking

Parking at the Hall Center

University Parking regulations require that persons with KU Parking Permits park only in lots that correspond to their permit color; cars with KU Parking Permits in Hall Center Visitor spaces will be ticketed, or potentially towed without the correct permit.

The parking lot adjacent to the Hall Center is a Blue Zone Lot, which means it is normally restricted to staff 5 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Monday though Friday. It is possible to purchase a visitor pass to use that lot or others at KU by obtaining a temporary parking permit. See the KU Parking pages for full details about parking.

Park and Ride

On Campus, the Hall Center is easily accessible using KU's Park & Ride shuttle. Disembark the bus at the stop in front of the Computer Center on Sunnyside Avenue. The Hall Center is across the street.

From locations around Lawrence, you can find information about public transportation options at the City of Lawrence Transit.

Requests for Use of Facilities

The Hall Center for the Humanities (HCH) is a designated research center at the University of Kansas with purpose-built facilities dedicated to the support of research in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and the dissemination of that research to a broader public. Center facilities are available to HCH affiliated groups and organizations whose proposed activity is consistent with the Center’s purpose. The Hall Center does not offer its facilities for purposes that do not coincide with its mission as a humanities-oriented designated research center.

If you wish to request use of the Hall Center’s facilities, please contact Assistant Director Andrew Hodgson at ahodgson@ku.edu.

Fee Structure

Rental of Hall Center facilities entails both facilities and staffing fees.

Facilities Fees

Conference Hall:

    *Lectures, symposia, workshops, and recitals:  $50.00 per hour, maximum $250 per day

    *Events involving food or bar service:  $100.00 cleaning fee

    *Audio/Visual Use:  $25.00

    *Piano Tuning:  $85.00

Seminar Rooms:

    * Departmental and public seminars, symposia, and workshops:  $50.00 per hour, maximum $250 per day 

    * Events involving food service:  $100.00 cleaning fee

    * Audio/Visual Use:  $25.00

Staffing Fees

$50 per hour (two Hall Center staff members), with a maximum charge of $250 per day for events held during regular operating hours. For weekend and after-hour events, the staffing fee will be $75 (two Hall Center staff members). Maximum charge limits do not apply.

Two HCH staff members must be present at all events held in Hall Center facilities.  They will arrive one hour prior to the event, and will remain until all non-HCH personnel have left the building and event cleanup has been completed. 

For more information, contact Assistant Director Andrew Hodgson at ahodgson@ku.edu.

Facilities Details

The W. Clarke Wescoe Conference Hall is located on the main floor of the Hall Center for the Humanities. It can seat 100 people theater-style or 70 people at round dinner tables.  Please note that if the event requires special set-up such as additional tables for food and/or beverage service, space for servers, or the use of the piano, you should adjust downward the maximum number of people who can be accommodated in the Conference Hall.

Audio/Visual Equipment available in the Conference Hall includes:

  • Built-in LCD projector
  • Laptop computer with wireless web access
  • VCR
  • DVD/BluRay player
  • Sound system, including lapel, table and wireless handheld microphones, and hearing assistance devices
  • Opaque Projector (also known as an ELMO)
  • Steinway Grand Piano (Note: Use of the piano requires special approval.  The cost of tuning the piano prior to an event is extra, and the piano may not be moved more than a few feet from its present location.) 

The Lynwood H. Smith Seminar Room is located on the second floor of the Hall Center, which is accessible by the main staircase and via the elevator at the west end of the building.  It can seat 14 people at the conference table and an additional 6 to 10 people in chairs around the sides of the room. (Please note that the use of audio/visual equipment may reduce the number of people who can sit comfortably in the Seminar Room.)

Audio/Visual Equipment available in the Seminar Room includes:

  • Portable LCD Projector (for attachment to computer for presentations)
  • Laptop computer with wireless web access
  • Television set 
  • A combination VCR/DVD player with ability to play CDs
  • Whiteboard (please use only markers provided)

Seminar Room 1 is located on the main floor of the Hall Center on the east end of the building. It can seat 50 people in rows of chairs, and rolling seminar tables are available for use as well. (Please note that the use of these tables may reduce the number of people who can sit comfortably in the Seminar Room.)

Audio/Visual Equipment available in the New Seminar Room includes:

  • Built-in LCD projector
  • Laptop computer with wireless web access
  • DVD/CD player
  • Sound system, including lapel, table and wireless handheld microphones