Cultural Center

History of the Cultural Center

The Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center, a facility of the City of Liberty, was dedicated and opened on October 18, 1970. The 23,000 square foot Cultural Center houses the Liberty Municipal Library and the Humphreys-Burson Theatre. The Liberty Bell Tower and the Jubilee Pavilion are attractions located on the Cultural Center grounds. Due to structural defects in the Bell Tower it was demolished in the spring of 2009, but a new Bell Tower is being designed and will eventually replace it.

The Cultural Center was named after its major benefactor, Geraldine Davis Humphreys (1876-1961), who established the Humphreys Foundation to benefit historical, educational, and cultural purposes. The Cultural Center is located on Mrs. Humphreys’ home place, known as Seven Pines, which was also the home site of her grandparents, Frank and Cynthia (O'Brien) Hardin.

The 153-seat Humphreys-Burson Theatre is the home of the Valley Players, Liberty's outstanding community theatrical group. The theater was named for Kalita Humphreys Burson and her husband Joe Burson, daughter and son-in-law of Mrs. Humphreys. Kalita and Joe were active in theatrical productions on Broadway before settling in Liberty, and were instrumental in organizing the Valley Players in 1953. Their untimely deaths in a 1954 plane crash cut short their participation in the little theater group. The Valley Players present several outstanding productions during the year, which are very well attended by the public.