Exterior of Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, located on the grounds of the Arizona State Fair. It is commonly referred to as simply the Coliseum. Image File history File links Arizona_veterans_memorial_coliseum. ... Image File history File links Arizona_veterans_memorial_coliseum. ... The following is a list of indoor arenas. ... Nickname: Valley of the Sun Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Maricopa Incorporated February 25, 1881 Mayor Phil Gordon (D) Area    - City 1,230. ...

History

Newspaper reports state that The Arizona State Fair Commission began planning for an "Arizona State Fairgrounds Exposition Center" as early as the fall of 1962. The Commission envisioned an indoor facility which could be used during the State Fair as well as year-round. In 1964, Phoenix architect Leslie Mahoney presented the commission with the final plans, and construction began that summer.

The unique saddle-shaped, cable-suspension roof, supporting over 1000 precast concrete panels, was considered innovative architectural engineering at the time.

In April 1965, the name was officially changed to honor Arizona's war veterans. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1231 KB) Taken by me I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1231 KB) Taken by me I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

There was an early controversy over whether alcohol would be served at the new facility, but legislation was signed in April 1965 by Governor Sam Goddard providing for limited liquor sales. Samuel Pearson Goddard, Jr. ...

The Coliseum opened November 3, 1965, with a production of Ice Follies. The final cost was estimated at $7 million. November 3 is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 58 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... Shipstads & Johnson Ice Follies was a touring ice show featuring elaborate production numbers, similar in concept to Ice Capades. ...

Tenants

This distinctive arena with its saddle-shaped roof, which sat 13,730 for ice hockey, was the home of the Phoenix Roadrunners of the WHA from 1974-1977, the Phoenix Suns of the NBA from 1968-1992, and the Phoenix Mustangs of the now-defunct WCHL from 1999-2000. The Coliseum was affectionately referred to as "The Mad House on McDowell (named for McDowell Road, the street in Phoenix where it is situated) during the Suns tenure there; by both fans and the local media. ARENA may refer to either: Nationalist Republican Alliance, a political party in El Salvador. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... The Phoenix Roadrunners are an ECHL hockey team set to begin play for the 2005-2006 season in Phoenix, Arizona. ... World Hockey Association logo The World Hockey Association (French: Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. ... The National Basketball Association of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the NBA, is the premier professional basketball league in North America. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

It hosted the 1975 NBA All-Star Game and WCW Wrestle War 1991. The Coliseum was also host to the Phoenix Mustangs hockey team and the Phoenix Eclipse ABA basketball team. The NBA staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. ... WCW logo until 1999 World Championship Wrestling or WCW, was a professional wrestling promotion that existed from 1988 to 2001. ... WrestleWar was a World Championship Wrestling PPV held in the month of May in 1989 and 1992 and the month of February in 1990 and 1991. ... The Phoenix Eclipse is an American Basketball Association (ABA) team based in Phoenix, Arizona. ... The American Basketball Association (ABA) is a mens professional basketball league founded in 1999 as a revival of the defunct basketball league, also called the American Basketball Association, that merged with the NBA in 1976. ...

1975 NBA All Star Game Logo

The arena remains open for some events, even though the Suns left in 1992 for the America West Arena (now US Airways Center). The Arizona State Fair schedules concerts, comedy shows and other events in the Coliseum during the Fair's annual season (which begins each October). Until recently it hosted portions of Arizona's high school basketball championships, but those have been moved to the newer Glendale Arena. Image File history File links 75allStar_logo. ... Image File history File links 75allStar_logo. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... America West Arena is a sports and entertainment facility located in Phoenix, Arizona. ... US Airways Center (formerly America West Arena) is a sports and entertainment facility located in Phoenix, Arizona. ... Glendale Arenas North Entrance (6/13/05) The Glendale Arena is an indoor arena located in Glendale, Arizona, in the suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona. ...

In the fall of 2005, the Coliseum sheltered up to 2,500 evacuees from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The evacuees were relocated to other housing in time for the opening of the Fair that October. New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... Lowest pressure 902 mbar (hPa; 26. ...

Sources

Newspaper clippings used to research portions of this article:

The Arizona Republic: May 28, 1964; April 20, 1965

The Phoenix Gazette: April 24, 1963; March 27, 1965; October 28, 1966

Arizona Journal: November 14, 1962

External links

• Arizona State Fair