A lot has changed about the Von Braun Center since it opened in 1975.

For one, the name. It was originally called Von Braun Civic Center.

And back then, people had to buy tickets to VBC events in person, either at the box office or at local outlets. You could smoke inside concert venues. But you couldn’t (legally) bring alcoholic drinks inside the VBC arena during events.

Decades before smartphones, audiences experienced events in the moment, instead of through digital screens. And downtown Huntsville, where the Von Braun Center is located, has changed considerably, with recent development bringing in many new hotels, bars and restaurants.

What hasn’t changed since ‘75, the VBC remains at the center of Huntsville culture. From high-wattage arena concerts to graduation ceremonies, to Broadway theatre tour performances, to graduation ceremonies and proms, to sporting events, to weddings, to conventions that rev up the local economy by bringing thousands upon thousands to Huntsville.

Now, the VBC is launching a campaign celebrating its arc, leading up to its 50th anniversary next year. There will be special events, including: a November 9 concert by Grammy-winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt at the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall; a book and online timeline chronicling the VBC’s beginnings and history; and behind-the-scenes tours for fans to tour the facilities’ backstage areas, and more.

The anniversary theme is “Your Place Through Time.” As part of the year-long 50th anniversary celebration, the VBC is asking people to share their memories and photos of the Von Braun Center on social media via the hashtag #VBC50. Additional details for upcoming anniversary events and more will be announced periodically into 2025.

Over the years, the Von Braun Center, named for aerospace pioneer Wernher von Braun, has hosted concerts by all-time musicians like Prince, Metallica, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Tina Turner, among many others.

With recent arena shows by the likes of comedian Katt Williams, a star-studded 2023 tribute to county-music legend George Jones and current country star Riley Green. With upcoming concerts by heavy-metal lords Judas Priest and Southern rock gods Lynyrd Skynyrd, the VBC’s present is potent, too. Especially when the Mars Music Hall — the 1,600 capacity venue the Von Braun Center added in 2020, and has since hosted acts ranging from Americana star Jason Isbell to comedian Tig Notaro to classic-rock icon Lindsey Buckingham — is considered.

VBC assistant director Mike Vojticek tells AL.com, “With the recent growth [of Huntsville to become Alabama’s most populous city], it’s only going to get better. We have within a 50-mile radius of Huntsville, there’s 1.5 million people. That a pretty good market to draw from. And that’s pretty much our market, if you take our Ticketmaster sales, it’s that 50-mile radius around Huntsville. Just far enough from Birmingham and Nashville, we can play a show [from the same tour] the next night.”

In 2023, the VBC’s arena (6,500 to 8,500 concert capacity, depending on layout), concert hall (around 2,000 capacity) and Mars Music Hall hosted some 107 concerts. More than 20 of those were sold out, including shows by ZZ Top, Gladys Knight, The Judds, Shinedown and Dropkick Murphys.