Together with the Wichita Wind Surge

There is almost too much to talk about this week with the Wind Surge.

First off - from April 14 - 19, there is a Simply Hygiene drive where you receive a 20% off coupon for the Wind Surge team store for every donation:

If you missed the Tumba Vacas last night, don’t worry, there is a full week of alter egos including the Tubs and the big reveal of the Chili Buns!

Don’t forget that legendary competitor eater and Hot dog CHAMP Joey Chestnut will be there on Friday (followed by fireworks!)

The Scottish Rite Temple

You’ve probably driven by it a hundred times and never really thought about it.

It’s big and stone-y. It kinda looks like a castle (but not that castle).

It’s one of those buildings downtown (First and Topeka) that feels like it was dropped in from a different era.

That’s the Scottish Rite Temple.

It has been in and out of the news due to TempleLive closing and it sitting empty, but now it is back in front of mind after going up for auction following foreclosure.

So now it goes from “cool, what was that building” to “cool, what could we actually do with something like this?”

What does Scottish Rite mean?

Great question.

The Scottish Rite (or Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry) is a rite within the broader Freemasonry.

What is Freemasonry you ask? Another great question. If you asked me this a while ago, I would have mentioned National Treasure or The Da Vinci Code with the Freemasons being a secret society who built the country (or something like that).

So that really isn’t too far off, but all of this is beyond the scope of this Deep Dive so I’ll let you do your own internet scouring and research. I am clearly out of my realm of knowledge here.

It does still exist if you’re wondering. 

YMCA: Pre-Scottish Rite

This building is older than most people think.

It was originally built in 1887 to 1888 as a YMCA (for context, the City of Wichita was founded in 1868 and incorporated in 1870). Back when Wichita was still figuring out what it wanted to be, this was one of the early community anchor buildings in the city.

The design comes from a local architecture firm, Proudfoot & Bird, and leans into a Romanesque style. Thick stone, rounded arches, solid and permanent. This is the kind of building you don’t really see built anymore.

The original YMCA building was supposed to cost $36,000 ($1,251,333.47 in today’s dollars), but the final cost was closer to $60,000 ($2,085,555.79 in 2026 dollars).

Scottish Rite Center

After a real estate boom collapsed, the YMCA sold the building at a steep discount to the Scottish Rite Masonic Bodies in 1898 after the Scottish Rite organization outgrew the Baptist Church property at Market and First St.

Their numbers grew from 119 in October 1891 to 341 in November 1896.

Renovations

After “The Bodies” purchased the YMCA building, they immediately started remodeling with a stage and scenery for a 300 person auditorium.

There was also an expansion in 1907 consisting of an “elegant north addition” designed by Wichita architect C.W. Terry.

The Temple was opened to the Masons of Wichita on May 30, 1908 as one of the fanciest and “most richly furnished and elaborate buildings for this purpose in the country”. (see a “full tour here”)

There was another renovation in 1956.

The building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 1972, recognizing its significance from its YMCA roots in the late 1800s through its expansion and use as a Scottish Rite temple in the early 1900s.

In other words, this isn’t just an old building that happens to still be around. It’s a recognized piece of Wichita’s historical backbone.

What is inside?

If you have never been inside, you probably assume it is just meeting rooms.

It is not.

There is a full auditorium with balcony seating, a stage, and the kind of acoustics you only get from older performance spaces. The gallery photos show detailed ceilings, theatrical lighting, and a layout that was clearly designed for an audience.

There are also grand staircases, long corridors, and rooms that feel more like a theater complex than a lodge.

That is because Scottish Rite buildings were built for ceremony. And those ceremonies were not small.

This was designed to hold people, to impress them, and to create an experience.

In a lot of ways, it functioned as one of Wichita’s early large-scale event spaces before modern venues existed.

Evolution

Like a lot of buildings tied to fraternal organizations, the challenge was not the building. It was what the building was built for.

As membership declined, the need for a space like this declined with it.

And that leaves you with a very specific problem.

You have a building that is:

• Large + Expensive to maintain + Designed around a very particular use

But no longer has that built-in demand.

So it ends up in this middle ground. Still impressive. Still valuable. Just harder to plug into modern use.

TempleLive

TempleLive stepped in with a straightforward idea in a handful of cities including Wichita: Turn historic buildings like this into live event venues.

Concerts. Comedy. Touring acts.

For a while, it worked. You had concerts, comedy shows, and touring acts coming through a space most people had never stepped inside before.

But these projects are tough.

You are working with an older structure, ongoing maintenance, and the challenge of consistently filling a mid-sized venue in a market that already has options.

Eventually, that balance broke down.

TempleLive Wichita

TempleLive Wichita opened in 2019 (unfortunate timing considering the pandemic) when new owners purchased it. Beaty Capital Group bought the building with TempleLive running the entertainment and events while leasing some space back to Scottish Rite.

That was the first time the building sold since 1898.

TempleLive closed in 2025 overnight due to nationwide TempleLive venues shutting down.

The Freemasons still used the space they had leased while TempleLive was operating.

On the Market

The owners of this historic building failed to make their payments, and the property is now in foreclosure.

Now it’s ready for its next version. And technically… it’s an opportunity.

The building is up for auction on May 6th at 10am.

The Scottish Rite building consists of:

• 700-seat auditorium

• Large dining hall with 400+ seats

• 3,000 sq ft commercial kitchen

What Would You Actually Do With It?

There are a few clear paths, but none of them are automatic.

• Event venue, but focused. - Focus on smaller, more intentional shows instead of trying to fill the calendar with everything.

• High-end event space. - Weddings, galas, corporate events. The architecture already does most of the work. People eat up unique venues

• Mixed-use cultural space. - Combine performance, creative workspaces, and community programming so the building stays active throughout the week. This would take some creativity, but could be good.

• Modern membership space. - A loose return to its roots. Not secretive (or maybe it is…), but still centered around connection and gathering.

Or…

• Something no one has tried yet. - These buildings rarely succeed when they follow a standard model. The best version might be something unexpected.

Why This One Actually Matters

This building tells a very Wichita story.

It starts as a YMCA in the 1880s, when the city is still early in its growth.

It becomes a Scottish Rite temple, reflecting a time when these organizations were a major part of civic life.

It shifts into an event venue, trying to adapt to a modern version of gathering.

And now it is sitting in a transition again.

Wichita has more buildings like this than people realize. Big, well-built, slightly out-of-place buildings waiting for someone to figure them out.

Next Time You Drive By

Look at it a little differently. It is not just a stone building downtown.

It’s over a century of Wichita trying different things inside the same walls.

It’s a place that has been important enough to land on the National Register of Historic Places, and flexible enough to keep evolving anyway.

And now it’s someone else’s turn.

Let us know!

Together with Wichita Riverfest

Riverfest Sign-Ups are now open! Riverfest is only 79 days away which will be here before we know it.

This year the party takes place from May 29 through June 6, but you can sign up for many of the events today!

• 5/30 - Fidelity Bank River Run

• 5/30 - 6/5 - Photography Contest

• 6/6 - Pickleball Tournament “Dinks on the River”

• 5/30 - 6/2 - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

• 6/6 - Classic Car Show

• 5/31 - Cardboard Regatta

• 5/30 - Cowboy Bathtub Races

There are so many ways to get involved and participate, make this the year you try something new (or continue a tradition)!