The Vicksburg Auditorium will be closed January and February to replace the building’s air conditioning and heating system.

The city is expected to receive bids on the project at a meeting Thursday.

City clerk Walter Osborne said the decision to close the auditorium for two months was made after a tour of the 61-year-old building by engineers.

“They said it was better to do that in case problems occurred at the last minute and there were events that were scheduled that would have to be moved,” Osborne said. He said January had already been set aside for the work, “So there were no events planned. February was a last minute decision, and we only had three events booked (for that month).”

Built in 1956, the Vicksburg Auditorium on Monroe Street has hosted many local events.

At one time, it hosted the Miss Mississippi Pageant and serves as the venue for annual Veterans Day and Memorial Day programs. The members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen were sworn into office there. It has also hosted musical and comedy shows, dance recitals and parties, church events and funerals.

Until October 2013, the auditorium was operated by Iowa-based VenuWorks, which also operates and manages the Vicksburg Convention Center. The city resumed management of the auditorium in 2013.