Introducing the Dixie Academy Ballroom at Town Square

In 1911, the Dixie Academy Building, now commonly known as the Children’s Museum building, was built on 86 S. Main Street in St. George. For over a century, the structure has taken on more than a fair share of responsibilities.

It was the home for both Dixie High School and Dixie College until 1960 and has been the home for many important events through the ballroom based on the third floor that is still used to this day.

Although the Children’s Museum is what the building is most known for by many families in Southern Utah, the ballroom on the third floor of the Dixie Academy Building has never truly had a name that matched its century-old history.

This is why St. George resident Corri Theobald decided to inquire further about this event space with the hope that a new name could be given to the ballroom.

Theobald said, “My husband and I got another wedding announcement in the mail, and it was another one that said the reception was being held on the top floor of the Children’s Museum. Every time we’ve seen that before, we’ve been like, ‘Why doesn’t that place have a good name?’”

Theobald then decided to post on Facebook to gather opinion from other residents of St. George. The original post received about 350 likes with dozens of comments filled with name suggestions for the ballroom.

After reading the responses from the various Facebook groups where she shared the original post, Theobald created a spreadsheet compiling the name suggestions, comments, and other statistics on the ballroom.

According to Theobald, the name with the most support was the Dixie Academy Ballroom. Theobald believed this name was simple but showed the history of the location.

Theobald then got in touch with St. George City Council Member Natalie Larsen to see how difficult it would be to make this name change happen.

To Theobald’s surprise, Larsen said she would bring it up at the next city council meeting with Theobald’s spreadsheet in tow.

After discussing the possible name change, the St. George City Council decided to go through with what Corri Theobald proposed, but with a slight change to the potential name.

The name of the ballroom on the top floor of the Dixie Academy Building is now officially called the Dixie Academy Ballroom at Town Square.

Theobald’s original post was made in December 2023, and the name change was set in stone by January 2024. The first official city event to use the new moniker will be the annual Sweetheart Swing for Valentine’s Day.

Just a single post from a passionate resident was able to make a surprising change. Makes you wonder what else is possible when a Southern Utah resident is that passionate.