Anime Central

Anime Central was established in 1998 to address the lack of anime gatherings in the Central United States. In 2001, construction took place at the hotel during the convention. A memorable moment occurred in 2001 when guest Robert DeJesus got married by guest Jan Scott-Frazier, who was ordained as a minister. The 2003 convention saw long registration lines, ranging from 90 minutes to 3 hours. Scheduling problems caused delays in the opening ceremonies of the 2004 convention.

Registration system issues in 2008 led to excessively long lines. In 2012, two cosplay weddings took place, and the Hyatt hotel was evacuated due to a fire alarm. Anime Central hosted the 2014 US Finals for the World Cosplay Summit. The convention was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the convention initially eliminated mask and vaccination requirements but later modified the policy due to negative attendee feedback, mandating masks in certain areas.