Named after Paul D. Wachholz, the Wachholz College Center is a uniquely designed 58,000 square-foot facility that eloquently combines two distinct venues into one stunning building on the campus of Flathead Valley Community College. Designed by Cushing Terrell Architects and built by Swank Enterprises, the Wachholz College Center features:
McClaren Hall
McClaren Hall - a 1,014-seat concert hall designed with superb acoustics and flexible technical capabilities to accommodate concerts of all genres, lectures, dance performances and musical theatre productions. Take advantage of McClaren Hall's built-in sound and lighting systems along with high-quality projector and motorized projection screen (16' tall x 28' wide) as a perfect venue for any business presentation. With 744 seats on the main floor and 270 seats on the balcony level, McClaren Hall is uniquely designed to accommodate events of all sizes.
Karas Reception Hall
The stunning Karas Reception Hall - a functional two-level lobby that serves as the connection between the Stinson Family Event Center and McClaren Hall. When used as a stand-alone event space, the Karas Reception Hall is a perfect location for 80 to 180 guests to enjoy a standing reception on the upper level with seated banquet program on the lower level. Standing reception capacity is 500. The floor to ceiling windows and grand staircase on the eastern side of the lobby provide amazing views and elegant access between the upper and lower levels.
Stinson Family Event Center
The Stinson Family Event Center - a dual court gymnasium with breathtaking northeastern views out of floor to ceiling windows. Doors from the gymnasium provide access to a large outdoor patio space that overlooks the outdoor amphitheater. The Stinson Family Event Center is a perfect space for mostly standing receptions of up to 1,000 guests, or seated banquet events of up to 500 guests. The space can be used for tradeshows, conferences or auxillary networking space in conjunction with the other events spaces inside the Wachholz College Center.
Swank Recital Hall
The Wachholz College Center also includes the gorgeous Swank Recital Hall that can be used for smaller, intimate performances or for banquets and receptions for up to 80 guests. The Swank Recital Hall features many of the same acoustical treatments seen inside McClaren Hall while providing abundant natural light from the west side of the building.
O'Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater
Located on the eastern-facing backside of the Wachholz College Center is the beautiful O'Shaughnessy Outdoor Amphitheater. This unique asset can be enjoyed by students and the community as a place to study or meet up with friends. The outdoor amphitheater can also be used as an outdoor performance space or as an outdoor wedding venue, with seating capacity for up to 250 guests.
