EST. 1949·WICHITA, KANSAS
Club
History
Seventy-five + years of gathering, dining, and belonging — at the heart of Wichita.
The Petroleum Club
of Wichita
In 1949, oil producer Jack Heathman looked to Denver and saw what Wichita was missing — a private club where the city’s professionals could meet, eat, and do business away from public view. He built it himself.
The Petroleum Club began modestly, tucked into the basement of the Lassen Hotel at a time when the laws governing public alcohol consumption made discretion a virtue. But what started underground would, over the coming decades, rise — quite literally — to define an era of Wichita civic life.
The club moved four times in 75 years. Each address told a story of the city’s growth, and of a membership that grew with it.
1949
Founded
1952
A New Address
KFH Building (now Sutton Place) — 9th Floor, Market & William
The club ascended to its namesake floor in the KFH Building at the corner of Market and William — a statement of arrival that defined the club’s identity for years to come.
1956
A Westward Move
Union Center Building (now The National) — First & Main
The club relocated to the second floor of the Union Center Building at First and Main, continuing to serve as the premier gathering place for Wichita’s professional class.
1975
The Ruffin Building
100 N. Broadway — 9th Floor (Current Home)
The club settled into its permanent home on the ninth floor of the Ruffin Building at 100 N. Broadway — where it has remained ever since, looking out over the city it helped shape.
2024
A New Chapter
100 N. Broadway, Suite 900
At its 75th anniversary, new ownership rebranded the club as The Ninth Floor Club and Venue. Interiors were modernized and a members-only space — The Petroleum Room — was added, honoring the club’s founding legacy while opening its doors to a new generation.
1975 – Present Day
The Ruffin Building, Nine Floors Up
Since 1975, the club has occupied the ninth floor of the Ruffin Building at 100 N. Broadway. The view hasn’t changed much — but the city below it has, and the club has changed with it.
Weekday member lunches, select dinner evenings, and a full private event program have made the ninth floor a fixture in Wichita’s professional and social calendar.
2024 · 75th Anniversary
The Ninth Floor Club + Venue
At its 75th anniversary, new ownership reimagined the club for the next generation. The interiors were modernized, a new events program was launched, and a members-only retreat — The Petroleum Room — was added to honor the club’s founding legacy.
The name changed. The address didn’t. The Ninth Floor Club and Venue remains at 100 N. Broadway, Suite 900 — still nine floors up, still looking out over Wichita.
| FOUNDED | 1949 |
| CURRENT LOCATION | 100 N. Broadway, Suite 900 |
| REBRANDED | 2024 |
| NEW SPACEs | Cloud 9 & The Petroleum Room |
The Venue
