The original school building can be seen in an aerial view of the school – the square building in the center surrounded by a courtyard is the original structure and the school expanded outward.

The building was used as a school until 1978. Until 1960, the high school and junior high were both located in the same building – hence the need for such a large facility. In 1960, the “new” Laramie High School located on 11th Street opened its doors and the Civic Center was then used as only a junior high until 1978. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and officially became the Laramie Plains Civic Center in 1982. Today, the building serves as an important anchor for community and creative activities in Laramie. The Civic Center plays host to musicians, artists, a theater company, a school, professional and government offices, and the Gryphon Theatre, a popular venue for music and film screenings. The Laramie Plains Civic Center is a terrific example of how former school buildings can be adaptively reused for the greater good of a community. Laramie will have to face this issue once more as the high school built in 1960 is now empty after the city built a brand new high school that opened in 2016.View of the north facade looking southwest. The Gryphon Theatre can be seen on the left side of the main entrance. The gold tiles in the tall windows indicate where the balcony of the theatre intersects with the outer wall.