Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum

Last updated

Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum
Minnesota State Fairgrounds - August 2020 - 106.jpg
Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum
Former namesHippodrome (1951–1975) [1]
Coliseum (1975–2006) [1]
Address1784 Judson Ave
Location Falcon Heights, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°58′41″N93°10′28″W / 44.9781°N 93.1744°W / 44.9781; -93.1744
Capacity 5,000 [2]
Construction
Opened1951;74 years ago (1951) [3]
Construction cost$1.2 million [3] (equivalent to $14,100,000in 2023) [4]

The Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum is a 5,000-seat [2] indoor arena in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, United States. [5] Built in 1951 on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fair, the venue hosts indoor events of the fair such as livestock shows, dog shows, equestrian and bull riding. [2] During the fair, vendors selling merchandise such as Western wear fill the concourse. [2]

Contents

History

The original structure on the site, the St. Paul Hippodrome, was built in 1906 and housed an indoor ice rink from 1909 to 1942. The building fell into disrepair after being used as a military aircraft propeller plant during World War II. [1] The current structure was built in 1951 in an Art Deco style consistent with other fairgrounds buildings of the era. [6] It continued to be known as the Hippodrome until 1975 when it was renamed Coliseum. [1] The arena was renamed Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum in 2006. Lee Warner was Vice President of the Minnesota State Agricultural Society Board of Managers, which oversees the Minnesota State Fair, from 1919 to 1944. [7]

On October 6, 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke at the arena to campaign for Democratic candidates in the upcoming congressional election. [8]

Air conditioning was added in 1975 which allowed for an ice rink in the arena. [9] The coliseum then became popular in the winter months as a venue for high school and college ice hockey, hosting up to five games per week through the 1980s. [10] The University of St. Thomas men's hockey team played its home games at the coliseum from 1976 until 2003. [6] With expensive repairs needed to the arena's ice-making equipment and decline in usage, the final hockey game was played there in 2014. [10]

The arena has also hosted professional sports, including the Minnesota Monsters, St. Paul Fighting Saints, and North Star Roller Derby.

Renovation

Following the 2024 State Fair, the arena is scheduled to undergo several improvements, including a new roof, better lighting and airflow. [9] The renovations are set to cost an estimated $22 million and will be funded in part by a $2 increase to State Fair admission tickets. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williams Arena</span> Multi-purpose arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Williams Arena is an indoor arena located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home arena for the University of Minnesota's men's and women's basketball teams. It also housed the men's hockey team until 1993, when it moved into its own building, 3M Arena at Mariucci. The building is popularly known as The Barn, and its student section is known as "The Barnyard".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richfield Coliseum</span> Arena in Ohio, United States

Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,273 for basketball. It was the main arena for the Northeast Ohio region until 1994, when it was replaced by Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. The Coliseum stood vacant for five years before it was purchased and demolished in 1999 by the National Park Service. The site of the building was converted to a meadow and is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The St. Paul Civic Center was an indoor arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The arena opened in 1973 and was closed and demolished in 1998. It once sat near the Ordway Music Theater and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. The Xcel Energy Center was built on the former site of the arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Met Center</span> Demolished arena in Bloomington, Minnesota

The Met Center was an indoor arena that stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of Minneapolis. The arena, which was completed in 1967 by Minnesota Ice, just to the north of Metropolitan Stadium, seated 15,000. It was the home of the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1993. For its first 15 years, its official name was the Metropolitan Sports Center; the more familiar shorter name was adopted in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State Fair</span> Annual event in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, U.S.

The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Also known by its slogan, "The Great Minnesota Get-Together", it is the largest state fair in the United States by average daily attendance and the second-largest state fair in the United States by total attendance, trailing only the State Fair of Texas, which generally runs twice as long as the Minnesota State Fair. The state fairgrounds, adjacent the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota, are in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, midway between the state's capital city of Saint Paul and the adjacent city of Roseville, near the Como Park and Saint Anthony Park neighborhoods of Saint Paul. Residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and eat many different types of food—often on a stick. The Minnesota State Fair was named the best state fair in the United States in 2015 by readers of USA Today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Coliseum</span> Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Coca-Cola Coliseum is an arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, used for agricultural displays, ice hockey, and trade shows. It was built for the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1921. Since 1997 it has been part of the Enercare Centre exhibition complex. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League and the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies, the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will also serve as the home arena of the Toronto Tempo when they debut in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> Multi-purpose arena in Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Wells Fargo Arena is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. Part of the Iowa Events Center, the arena opened on July 12, 2005, at a cost of $117 million. Named for title sponsor Wells Fargo, the arena replaced the aging Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center as the Des Moines area's primary venue for sporting events and concerts. Beginning July 1, 2025, Wells Fargo Arena will be renamed Casey's Center for the new title sponsor Casey's General Stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, also called the Madhouse Coliseum or Phoenix Memorial Coliseum, is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1992, as well as indoor soccer, professional roller hockey, multiple professional minor league ice hockey teams, and roller derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corteva Coliseum</span> Indoor arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Corteva Coliseum is a 6,500-seat indoor multi-use arena, located on the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. It was originally called the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum and later the Pepsi Coliseum,Fairgrounds Coliseum, and Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

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

The Crown Complex is a multi-purpose venue in Fayetteville, North Carolina that includes the Crown Coliseum, an indoor stadium. The stadium broke ground in 1995 and opened in 1997, and is currently home to the Fayetteville Marksmen ice hockey team. The Coliseum replaced the Crown Arena in the same complex as the main venue for sports events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berglund Center</span> Arena in Roanoke, Virginia, US

Berglund Center is a 10,500-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971 and is currently the home of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the SPHL. The arena also hosts Virginia Tech, Radford University and Roanoke College men's ice hockey games, as well as regular concerts and other large indoor events. The arena is also the home of the annual boys basketball games between Roanoke's two city high schools, Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School.

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

The Landers Center is an 8,400-seat multi-purpose arena in Southaven, Mississippi. It is home to the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League, a minor league basketball team affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies.

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

The Ford Arena is a 9,737-seat multi-purpose arena in Beaumont, Texas, USA. The arena has 34,000 sq ft of exhibit space available for conventions and exhibitions. It also includes 7 production offices, 3 dressing rooms, a 2,448 sq ft VIP Club, a 1,107 sq ft party patio, concession stands, and restrooms. It is part of a larger suburban municipal complex called Ford Park. It is currently managed by OVG360, a division of Oak View Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Arena</span> Arena in Loveland, Colorado, United States

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">Jacksonville Coliseum</span> Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States from 1960 to 2003

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum was a multi-purpose arena located in Jacksonville, Florida. Built in 1960 and known as "northern Florida's most historic concert venue", it was home to most of the city's indoor professional sports teams and it hosted various concerts, circuses, and other events. It was demolished in 2003 and replaced with the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grossinger Motors Arena</span> Arena in Bloomington, Illinois

Grossinger Motors Arena is an arena in downtown Bloomington, Illinois. It is on the southwest corner of Madison Street (US-51) and Front Street. The arena opened to the public on April 1, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kay Yeager Coliseum</span> Arena in Wichita Falls, Texas

The Kay Yeager Coliseum is a 7,380-seat multi-purpose arena in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was completed in 2003. Kay Yeager served as Wichita Falls mayor from May 1996 to May 2000.

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">Toyota Center (Kennewick, Washington)</span> Multi-use indoor arena in Kennewick, Washington

The Toyota Center is a multi-purpose arena in the northwest United States, located in Kennewick, Washington.

St. Thomas Ice Arena is a 1,000-seat ice hockey arena in Mendota Heights, Minnesota. Opened in 2003, it is home to the University of St. Thomas Tommies ice hockey programs in addition to the Saint Thomas Academy boys hockey team.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "History". Minnesota State Fair. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum". Minnesota State Fair. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Lee and Rose Warner". Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  4. 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 29 February 2024.
  5. Millett, L. (2007). AIA Guide to the Twin Cities: The Essential Source on the Architecture of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Minnesota Historical Society Press. p. 578. ISBN   978-0-87351-540-5 . Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 Murphy, Brian (25 December 2008). "Fairgrounds Coliseum a host of many hockey memories". TwinCities.com. St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  7. McClure, Jane (11 August 2023). "Did you know about the old Hippodrome?". Midway Como Frogtown Monitor. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  8. "Remarks at the Hippodrome Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, 6 October 1962 | JFK Library". www.jfklibrary.org. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  9. 1 2 Lauritsen, John (21 August 2024). "The history behind the Minnesota State Fair's Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum - CBS Minnesota". www.cbsnews.com. WCCO-TV. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Hockey bids fond farewell to Fairgrounds Coliseum". TwinCities.com. St. Paul Pioneer Press. 12 January 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  11. "Minnesota State Agricultural Society's Annual Meeting Looks Ahead to 2025 Minnesota State Fair". Minnesota State Fair. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  12. MPR News Staff (19 January 2025). "Minnesota State Fair admission price jumps to $20 per person; increase to fund improvements". MPR News. Retrieved 19 January 2025.