Denver Auditorium Arena

Last updated
Denver Auditorium Arena
Full nameQuigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium Theatre and Arena
Former namesDenver Municipal Auditorium (1908–48)
Address1323 Champa St
Denver, CO 80204
LocationDowntown Denver
Coordinates 39°44′40″N104°59′51″W / 39.74444°N 104.99750°W / 39.74444; -104.99750
Owner City and County of Denver
Capacity Arena: 12,500 (original)
6,841 (renovated)
Theatre: 2,240
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 22, 1907
OpenedJuly 7, 1908
Renovated
  • 1947–48
  • 1952
  • 1956
Closed1990
Construction cost$400,000
($12.6 million in 2022 dollars [1] )
ArchitectRobert Willison [2]
Tenants
Denver Nuggets (NBL/NBA) (1948–50)
Denver Rockets/Nuggets (ABA) (1967–75)
Denver Racquets (WTT) (1974)
Denver Comets (IVA) (1977–79)

Denver Auditorium Arena was an indoor arena located at the corner of 13th and Champa Streets in Denver, Colorado. It was constructed as the Denver Municipal Auditorium in 1908 during the administration of Mayor Robert W. Speer. The building was opened on July 7, 1908, and was the site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention. [3]

With a capacity of 12,500, the building was at the time of its opening the second largest in America to Madison Square Garden. [4] Initially, the venue was configured and equipped to hold numerous kinds of events including theater, opera, conventions, sporting events, exhibitions, concerts, and more. Renovations were made to the building in the 1940s, and in 1953 the southern half of the building was converted into the Auditorium Arena, a pure sporting venue with seating capacity of 6,841.

Tenants

It hosted the ABA's Denver Rockets, later the Denver Nuggets, from 1967 until they left for McNichols Sports Arena in 1975. The Auditorium Arena was an annual host of the Colorado high school state basketball tournament, primarily for the smaller-enrollment classifications.

The Auditorium Arena was home to the Denver Comets of the professional International Volleyball Association from 1977–1979, and home to the Denver Racquets of World Team Tennis in 1974, when they won the league championship before moving to Phoenix for the 1975 season.

From 1937 to 1967, it hosted the finals of the AAU basketball championship.

On December 26, 1968, the rock group Led Zeppelin played their first concert in the United States at the Auditorium Arena. [5]

In the last several years of its existence, the building was a popular venue for professional wrestling, hosting both AWA and WWF events.

In 1990, the Arena portion of the building (built in 1953) was demolished to make room for the Temple Buell Theatre, and in 2005, the Auditorium portion of the building (built in 1907-08) was remodeled into the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curb Event Center</span>

The Curb Event Center is a multipurpose arena on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Carr Theater</span> Auditorium in Orlando, Florida

Bob Carr Theater is an auditorium located in Orlando, Florida. Opening in 1927, the venue is currently owned by the City of Orlando and in 2013, the site was integrated into the Creative Village Development plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UD Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Dayton, Ohio, US

University of Dayton Arena is a 13,409-seat multi-purpose arena located in Dayton, Ohio. The arena opened in 1969. It is home to the University of Dayton Flyers basketball teams. From 2001 to 2010, the facility hosted the annual "play-in" game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament which featured the teams rated 64th and 65th in the tournament field. Beginning in 2011, when the tournament expanded to four opening-round games, the arena continued to host all "first four" games. Overall, the arena has hosted more men's NCAA Division I basketball tournament games than any other venue.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, United States

Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The arena serves as the home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus Civic Center</span> Aena in Columbus, Georgia, U.S.

Columbus Civic Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Georgia, built in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Missouri)</span> Multi-purpose hall in Kansas City, Missouri

Municipal Auditorium is a multi-purpose facility located in Kansas City, Missouri. It opened in 1935 and features Streamline Moderne and Art Deco architecture and architectural details.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadmoor World Arena (1998)</span> Arena in Colorado Springs

The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado is an 8,000 seat multi-purpose arena and entertainment venue. The arena opened in 1998. In addition to the main arena, the adjacent Ice Hall contains two practice rinks, one NHL-sized and one Olympic-sized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center</span> Indoor arena in Pennsylvania

The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center, commonly known simply as the Philadelphia Civic Center, was a convention center complex located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It developed out of a series of buildings dedicated to expanding trade which began with the National Export Exhibition in 1899. The two most significant buildings in the complex were the original main exhibition hall built in 1899, which later housed the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, and the Municipal Auditorium, later called the Convention Hall, which was built in 1931 to the designers of architect Philip H. Johnson. The site was host to national political conventions in 1900, 1936, 1940 and 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Arena</span>

The Blue Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Loveland, Colorado, 55 mi (89 km) northeast of Denver. It has 24 luxury suites, 777 club seats and 6,800 general admission seats. The arena is located on The Ranch Events Complex and is owned by Larimer County, Colorado. The facility and ticket sales are managed by OVG360. It is home to the AHL Colorado Eagles ice hockey team and is the former home of the Colorado Lightning indoor soccer team, the Colorado Chill women's basketball team, and the Denver Dream women's football team. It was also home to the Colorado Ice/Crush indoor football team from 2007 until 2017 and will serve as home of the Colorado Spartans starting in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile Civic Center</span> Arena in Alabama, United States

Mobile Civic Center is a multi-purpose facility located in Mobile, Alabama. Owned by the City of Mobile and operated by ASM Global, the facility consists of three venues: a theater, an expo hall, and an arena. It is suitable for large indoor events including sporting events and trade shows. The theater seats for 1,938, while the expo hall can seat 3,000. The largest venue of the Mobile Civic Center is the arena, which can seat 10,112.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First National Bank Arena</span>

First National Bank Arena is a 10,038-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Arkansas State University, and is home to their college basketball team, the Red Wolves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watsco Center</span> Arena in Florida, United States

The Watsco Center is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The venue hosts concerts, family shows, trade shows, lecture series, university events and sporting events, and serves as the home court to the Miami Hurricanes' men's and women's basketball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McAlister Field House</span>

McAlister Field House is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It was built in 1939 and is home to The Citadel Bulldogs basketball, wrestling and volleyball teams. Office space in the facility houses athletic department staff as well as several coaches.

The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is located in Denver, Colorado as part of the large Denver Performing Arts Complex. It seats 2,225. The Caulkins family pledged $7 million towards the enhancement of the lyric opera house and adjacent public spaces which were constructed inside of the Newton Auditorium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minneapolis Auditorium</span>

Minneapolis Auditorium was an indoor arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It hosted the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 until they moved to the Minneapolis Armory in 1959. The arena held 10,000 people and was built in 1927. The building fell into obscurity after the opening of the Met Center in suburban Bloomington. It was demolished in 1989 to make way for the Minneapolis Convention Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1stBank Center</span> Event arena in Broomfield, Colorado, USA

The 1stBank Center was a multi-purpose arena located 15 miles northwest of Downtown Denver, in the city of Broomfield. It was located near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and the Flatiron Crossing Mall. Opening in 2006, the arena naming rights belonged to 1stBank, a local financial institution since 2010. The venue was typically used for mid-sized concerts in the Denver Metro area, seating up to 6,500 patrons. From June 2010 until May 2014, the arena housed the Colorado Music Hall of Fame before it moved to its permanent home at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. For sports, it was the home of the Denver Roller Dolls and former home of the Rocky Mountain Rage and Colorado 14ers.

The Southwest Motors Events Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Pueblo, Colorado. The arena is located on the northwest corner of the Colorado State Fairgrounds and is predominantly used during the Colorado State Fair. The venue can host an array of events, including: concerts, professional bull riding, indoor football, basketball games and monster truck shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stifel Theatre</span>

The Stifel Theatre is a civic performing arts building located in St. Louis, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music Hall at Fair Park</span> Performing arts theater in Dallas, Texass Fair Park that opened in 1925

The Music Hall at Fair Park is a performing arts theater in Dallas, Texas's Fair Park that opened in 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental Theater (Denver)</span>

The Oriental Theater, is a historic theater is located in Berkeley neighborhood of Denver, Colorado. Since opening in 1927, the venue has hosted numerous functions both private and public. The venue allows minors and consumers over 21 to function together, rather than having to be separated by their ages. It is currently used as a live music venue and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.

References

  1. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. "Denver Municipal Auditorium (Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium)". History Colorado . March 2023. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  3. "ELLIE'S 10TH ANNIVERSARY". Denver Arts & Venues. October 2015. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  4. Venue information and background
  5. Rudolph, Katie (December 17, 2013). "DENVER, 1968: LED ZEPPELIN MAKES AMERICAN DEBUT". Denver Public Library . Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  6. "HISTORY OF THE DENVER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS". Denver Center for the Performing Arts. March 2022. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
First arena
Home of the
Denver Nuggets (original)

1948 1950
Succeeded by
Defunct
Preceded by
None
Home of the
Denver Rockets/Denver Nuggets

1967 1975
Succeeded by