Together With

Good morning, Wichita!

Before we dive into the history (and future) of one of the most iconic views in Wichita, if you’re free next Tuesday (9/15) - we would love for you to join us for a happy hour at the Ninth Floor Club.

Free to attend, come-and-go, complimentary light hors d’oeuvres, drinks available for purchase, all you have to do is RSVP. No agenda other than mingling with some fellow Wichitans.

Let's get to it!

- Landon Huslig

Together with the Wichita Wind Surge

Life is just better when the Wind Surge are home for the final home stand of the year, let’s check out the upcoming promos:

• 9/8 @ 6:35pm - Two for Tuesdays (show your Dillon’s card at the box office and get two tickets for the price of one!)

• 9/9 @ 6:35pm - Wind Surge Dog Calendar + Tumba Vacas de Wichita

• 9/10 @ 6:35pm - Wichita State University Beanie + Honkers + Thirsty Thursday + Drone Show!

• 9/11 @ 6:35pm - Patriot Day + Fireworks + Drone Show!

• 9/12 @ 6:05pm - Harry Potter Scarf + Fireworks + Drone Show!

• 9/13 @ 1:05pm - Fan Appreciation Midian Shrine Takeover

Interested in advertising with us?

The Ninth Floor Club

If you've spent much time in Wichita, chances are you've heard of the Petroleum Club. Or at the very least you’ve driven by the building that props up one of the best views in Wichita.

Maybe you've attended a wedding there, celebrated a company holiday party (back when I worked for KPL was the first time I went up there for our Christmas party), enjoyed a business lunch (many a WIBA lunch has been had), or simply looked up at the top of the Ruffin Building and wondered what was behind those windows.

For more than 75 years, the Petroleum Club had served as a gathering place for oil executives, business leaders, civic organizations, and families celebrating life's biggest milestones. Like Wichita itself, the club has experienced periods of tremendous growth, changing industries, and the need to reinvent itself.

The newest chapter in the legacy has opened with a new name: The Ninth Floor Club (get it, it is on the ninth floor of the Ruffin Building).

With new ownership, renovated spaces, expanded amenities, and a renewed focus on membership, the club is working to preserve its legacy while introducing itself to an entirely new generation of Wichitans. The vision is to honor what made the club special while making sure it remains relevant for decades to come.

I want to spend most of today exploring what The Ninth Floor Club looks like today and where it's headed, buutttt I'd be doing all of us a disservice if we didn't first dive into the rich history of the Petroleum Club, the organization that laid the foundation for everything it has become. This is a Wichita Life Deep Dive after all. That’s hard journalism with a lowercase j.

Before we get started, started. Click here to join us.

Built During Wichita's Oil Boom

To understand why the Petroleum Club existed in the first place, you have to understand Wichita in 1949 (that makes it 77 years old if you don’t feel like doing math).

The city was booming. Downtown was truly the heart of Wichita, the aviation industry was flourishing, and south-central Kansas had become one of the country's most important oil-producing regions.

It was during this era that Wichita oil producer Jack Heathman visited a petroleum club in Denver. Inspired by what he experienced, he returned home determined to create something similar for Wichita's growing oil community: a place where professionals could build relationships, entertain clients, and gather outside the office.

The Petroleum Club officially opened in 1949, backed by twelve founding investors who sold roughly 200 memberships. While the club was originally limited to those working in the oil and gas industry, it extended well beyond the industry itself. It quickly became one of downtown's top spots to wheel and deal and build friendships.

One detail that's easy to overlook today is just how different Kansas was at the time. Liquor-by-the-drink wasn't yet legal (crazy to think about right? Seneca Street Liquorrrr), and private clubs provided one of the few places where members could gather over cocktails. The Petroleum Club wasn't simply a restaurant with a view but also filled an important role in Wichita's business and social culture.

The club's first home was in the basement of the historic Lassen Hotel before moving several times as both Wichita and the organization continued to grow.

Petroleum Club Timeline

• 1949: Basement of the Lassen Hotel

  

• 1952: Ninth floor of the KFH Building (today's Sutton Place)

• 1956: Union Center Building (today's The National)

• 1975: Ninth floor of the Fourth Financial Center—today's Ruffin Building—where the club remains today.

More Than an Oil Club

Although it was founded to serve Wichita's oil industry, the Petroleum Club quickly became much more than that. As the city's economy diversified, so did its membership, welcoming business leaders, attorneys, physicians, entrepreneurs, elected officials, and nonprofit leaders.

For decades, the club served as Wichita's unofficial boardroom. It was a place to host clients, discuss business, celebrate milestones, and build relationships. Beyond business lunches, it also became a destination for weddings, galas, holiday parties, and countless special occasions. Combined with some of the best views in downtown Wichita, the Petroleum Club grew into one of the city's most recognizable institutions.

Adapting to a Changing Wichita

Like many private clubs across the country, the Petroleum Club faced new challenges as Wichita evolved. The decline of the oil industry, the movement of businesses away from downtown, and changing workplace culture all contributed to declining membership after the club's peak of more than 800 members.

Rather than standing still, the club adapted by expanding its focus to weddings, corporate events, private receptions, and community gatherings. Those changes helped preserve the club's place in downtown Wichita, but by the early 2020s, it was clear another transformation was needed.

A New Chapter: The Ninth Floor Club

In 2024, the Petroleum Club entered one of the biggest transitions in its history.

For the first time since opening in 1949, the club moved away from its longtime member-owned nonprofit structure and was purchased by local business leaders Rob Patton and Scott Welsh. Along with new ownership came a new vision and a new name.

Rather than leaving its history behind, the new ownership has focused on building upon it. While the organization is now known as The Ninth Floor Club, its signature dining room remains The Petroleum Room, honoring more than 75 years of history.

The new name reflects a broader vision. While the Petroleum Club was rooted in Wichita's oil industry, the Ninth Floor Club aims to serve a wider community through networking, dining, events, and social gatherings.

The goal is simple: preserve the traditions that longtime members value while welcoming the next generation of Wichitans.

The Ninth Floor Club Today

Walk through the doors today, and you'll quickly realize the Ninth Floor Club is much more than a private dining club. While membership remains at the heart of the experience, the club has evolved into a destination for dining, networking, entertainment, and some of Wichita's most memorable events.

Membership & Networking

Members enjoy access to regular dining, networking opportunities, social events, reciprocal clubs across the country, and one of the best views in Wichita. Throughout the year, the club hosts business lunches, Lunch & Learns, wine dinners, holiday celebrations, live music, member socials, and other exclusive events that bring people together both professionally and socially.

Fine Dining

The historic Petroleum Room continues to be the centerpiece of the club's dining experience. Members can enjoy lunch and fine dining in an elegant setting that's ideal for everything from client meetings to date nights, all while overlooking downtown Wichita.

Weddings & Private Events

The Ninth Floor Club has become one of downtown Wichita's premier event venues. Weddings, rehearsal dinners, corporate events, nonprofit galas, retirement celebrations, holiday parties, and private receptions fill the calendar throughout the year. The ballroom's panoramic skyline views provide a backdrop that's hard to match anywhere else in the city.

Cloud 9

One of the club's newest additions is Cloud 9, a members and guests cigar lounge that opened in early 2026. Overlooking downtown Wichita, the lounge offers premium cigar storage, comfortable seating, handcrafted cocktails, and a relaxed atmosphere unlike anything else in the city. It's quickly become one of the club's signature gathering spaces.

Member for a Day

Curious about joining but not ready to commit? The club now offers a Member for a Day experience, giving prospective members an opportunity to see what the Ninth Floor Club is all about before purchasing a membership. It's another example of the club's effort to make this historic Wichita institution more approachable for a new generation.

To explore membership options, upcoming events, or book your next event, visit https://ninthfloorwichita.com.

And one more teaser... stay tuned. Wichita Life will be partnering with the Ninth Floor Club to host a special event in the coming month or two, and we can't wait to share more details soon.

Looking Ahead

The story of the Ninth Floor Club isn't really about a name change.

It's about one of Wichita's oldest business institutions recognizing that cities evolve, industries change, and communities grow. The qualities that made the Petroleum Club successful—relationships, hospitality, great food, and a memorable place to gather—are still very much alive. The difference is that today's club is writing a new chapter for a broader audience.

More than 75 years after Jack Heathman envisioned a place where Wichita's business community could come together, people are still gathering on the ninth floor. The conversations may be different, the industries more diverse, and the membership more inclusive, but the view over downtown remains the same.

Whether you're interested in networking with fellow professionals, hosting clients, planning a wedding, enjoying a memorable meal, or simply seeing one of the best views in Wichita, the Ninth Floor Club is proving that history and innovation don't have to compete—they can build on one another. And if the club succeeds in its mission, today's members and guests may someday become the next generation telling stories about one of Wichita's most iconic gathering places.

Additional Perks

A few additional perks you should know about.

• The Ninth Floor Club partners with Wichita Thunder, Wichita Wind Surge, Roxy’s Downtown, Music Theatre Wichita, and the Wichita Symphony

• There are over 50 reciprocal club in the US, so if you’re a member at Ninth Floor, you can use those when you travel, etc.

• Other perks can be found here

This deep dive was written in partnership with the Ninth Floor Club.

What do you want to see us go deep on in a future deep dive?

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