Kiel Auditorium

Last updated
Kiel Auditorium
Municipal Auditorium, St. Louis, Mo (63228).jpg
Kiel Auditorium
Former namesMunicipal Auditorium (1934–1943)
Location1401 Clark Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63103
Coordinates 38°37′41″N90°12′06″W / 38.627972°N 90.201782°W / 38.627972; -90.201782
Capacity 9,300
Construction
OpenedApril 14, 1934
ClosedApril 27, 1991
Demolished1992
Construction cost$6 million
Architect LaBeaume & Klein
Tenants
Saint Louis Billikens (NCAA) (1945–1968, 19731991)
St. Louis Hawks (NBA) (1955–1968)
St. Louis Streak (WBL) (19791981)

Kiel Auditorium was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the Saint Louis University basketball team, and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks from 1955 to 1968.

Municipal Auditorium as it appeared in a 1934 nighttime view Kiel-mohistsoc.jpg
Municipal Auditorium as it appeared in a 1934 nighttime view


From 1913 to 1930, the site was home to Charles H. Turpin's Booker T. Washington Theater where performers included his brother Tom Turpin. [1]

The Municipal Arena was completed in 1934 at a cost of $6 million. It seated 9,300 and was built by Fruin-Colnon Construction. The Kiel Auditorium replaced the St. Louis Coliseum as the city's main indoor arena. The Kiel was originally named the Municipal Auditorium, but was renamed in honor of former St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel in 1943. [2] A unique feature of the auditorium was that it was split into two; the front of the building was the Kiel Opera House. It was possible to use both sides at once as the stages were back to back. President Harry Truman gave a speech there in which both sides were opened to see his speech.

In 1955, the auditorium was the venue for the second international conference of Alcoholics Anonymous, which established the service conference structure for the movement.

Kiel Auditorium played host to a variety of concerts and sports events until its closure in 1991. In 1983, it was the host of the Miss Universe Pageant. From the 1950s until the 1970s, the Kiel Auditorium was behind only Madison Square Garden as North America's most famous wrestling arena, hosting three NWA World Heavyweight Championship title changes from 1959 until 1986. The most notable wrestling event that took place at the Kiel Auditorium was WCW's premier event, Starrcade 1990. The building was demolished in 1992, but not before hosting the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament the preceding year.

After its demolition, its games and concerts temporarily went to the St. Louis Arena.

The Enterprise Center (originally named "Kiel Center", then "Savvis Center", then "Scottrade Center", before the current naming rights were purchased) now stands on the site of the former Kiel Auditorium. The Opera House portion of the building, on the northern part of the property, facing Market Street, was not torn down. It remained vacant for a while, but was renovated and reopened under the name Peabody Opera House in 2011. It is now known as the Stifel Theatre.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolstein Center</span> Indoor arena in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

The Bert L. and Iris S. Wolstein Center is a 13,610-seat indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Cleveland State University (CSU). It is home to the Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball teams and previously served as the home of the Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League from 1992 to 2005 and the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League from 2021 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow Palace</span> Indoor arena in Daly City, California, U.S.

The Cow Palace is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a portion of the upper parking lot is in San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro Complex</span> Arena in North Carolina, United States

The Greensboro Complex, formerly known as the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venues that includes an amphitheater, arena, aquatic center, banquet hall, convention center, museum, theatre, and an indoor pavilion. It is the home of the UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team, the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with their Men's and Women's basketball tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hy-Vee Arena</span> Arena in Missouri, United States

Hy-Vee Arena, previously known as Kemper Arena, is an indoor arena located in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to conversion to a youth sports and community gymnasium facility, Kemper Arena was previously a 19,500-seat professional sports arena. It has hosted NCAA Final Four basketball games, professional basketball and hockey teams, professional wrestling events, the 1976 Republican National Convention, concerts, and is the ongoing host of the American Royal livestock show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Arena</span> Indoor arena in St. Louis, MO 1929 - 1999

St. Louis Arena was an indoor arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The country's second-largest indoor entertainment venue when it opened in 1929, it was home to the St. Louis Blues and other sports franchises. The Arena sat across U.S.40 from Forest Park's Aviation Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville Municipal Auditorium</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Tennessee, U.S.

The Nashville Municipal Auditorium is an indoor sports and concert venue in Nashville, Tennessee. It opened October 7, 1962 with both an arena and exhibition hall. The former exhibition hall has been permanent home to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum since 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bojangles Coliseum</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.

Bojangles Coliseum, originally Charlotte Coliseum and formerly Independence Arena and Cricket Arena, is an 8,600-seat multi-purpose arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which also oversees nearby Ovens Auditorium and the uptown Charlotte Convention Center. The naming-rights sponsor is the Bojangles restaurant chain. The building's signature domed roof is made of tin, rather than steel or iron. The dome spans 332 feet in diameter and rises to 112 feet tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Family Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in St. Charles, Missouri, U.S.

The Family Arena is a multi-purpose arena in St. Charles, Missouri, built in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cox Business Convention Center</span> Convention center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, US

The Cox Business Convention Center is a 275,000 square foot convention center located in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing Center</span> Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska

The Pershing Center was a 4,526-seat multi-purpose arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. As of August 10, 2023, the facility was undergoing demolition.

The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center is a convention center located in Long Beach, California. Built on the former site of the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue is composed of the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach Arena, and the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. It is served by the 1st Street station of Los Angeles Metro Rail.

<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">Mayo Civic Center</span> Multi-purpose convention center and event facility in Rochester, Minnesota

The Mayo Civic Center is a multi-purpose convention center and event facility in Rochester, Minnesota. It was home to the Rochester Mustangs ice hockey team and various professional basketball franchises. It is also notable for being one of the filming locations for the music video of "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi. Adjacent to the arena is Mayo Park and the Rochester Art Center.

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.

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.

The Richmond Arena was a multipurpose indoor sports facility located in and owned by the city of Richmond, Virginia. It was located south of Parker Field, between Boulevard and Hermitage Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enterprise Center</span> Arena in St. Louis, Missouri, opened 1994

The Enterprise Center is an 18,096-seat arena located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Its primary tenant is the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, but it is also used for other functions, such as NCAA basketball, NCAA hockey, concerts, professional wrestling and more. In a typical year, the facility hosts about 175 events. Industry trade publication Pollstar has previously ranked Enterprise Center among the top ten arenas worldwide in tickets sold to non-team events, but the facility has since fallen into the upper sixties, as of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sioux City Municipal Auditorium</span> Historic auditorium in Iowa, United States

The Sioux City Municipal Auditorium, known as the Long Lines Family Recreation Center or Long Lines Auditorium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose facility in Sioux City, Iowa. The fifth in a line of major indoor venues built in Sioux City, it was designed by Knute E. Westerlind in 1938 and finally completed after many delays in 1950. In the building's original form, it was an arena that seated up to 3,500 people. In 2003, the building was replaced by the Tyson Events Center, built around the northeast corner of the Municipal Auditorium. The building was then converted to its current use as a recreation center while preserving the exterior building. The converted arena was originally named Long Lines Family Recreation Center, though in 2023 the building added the Long Lines Auditorium signing to the southeast entrance and inside the auditorium. The auditorium is referred to as either name.

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

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

References

  1. "Education: Turpin's Trust". Time. 26 April 1937.
  2. "The Kiel Auditorium". Ballparks.com. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the
St. Louis Hawks

1955 – 1968
Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
NBA All-Star Game

1958
1962
1965
Succeeded by
Preceded by Miss Universe venue
1983
Succeeded by