Archive | Visits

Located adjacent to the Louisiana Superdome, the Arena is within walking distance of 18,000 hotel rooms, the Central Business District, the French Quarter, and riverfront attractions.Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 17,200 (Hornets), 18,500 (general event) Architect: Arthur Q. Davis & Partners Web Site: neworleansarena.com Phone: 504/587-3663 Anchor Tenants: New Orleans Hornets (NBA) / New Orleans Voodoo […]

Located in the Arena District of downtown Columbus, the Nationwide Arena was built on a piece of property that was the site of the historical Ohio State Penitentiary until 1984. Nationwide Arena has pleasantly surprised fans as one of the best NHL arenas ever to be built. Some of the unique qualities include two 80-foot […]

Once a haven for hockey fans, the third-oldest active NHL arena is a long-established grandfather arena compared to others. Due to the small size and low ceilings, when a good crowd is on hand, the Coliseum can get extremely loud. In addition, every seat in the house is close to the ice. Capacity: 17,576 Architect: […]

One of the most difficult moves in sports came in 1995-96 when the Montreal Canadians left the second-to-last remaining arena of the original six, the Montreal Forum, along with 24 championship banners.  Bell Centre was built for the new hockey generation. There is nothing special about the outside and the interior is cramped, but the […]

When what was known as the MCI Center was completed in 1997, some members of the public were upset with the placement of the arena. They felt the building disrupted the historic layout of the city streets because the Center closed off a block of G Street. However, the facility gained acceptance as it helped […]

There’s no doubt: Madison Square Garden and its predecessors have always been at the core of the sporting world in New York City.Year Opened: 1968 Capacity: 19,763 (basketball), 18,200 (hockey) Architect: Charles Luckman Associates Web Site: thegarden.com Phone: 212/465-6741 Anchor Tenants: New York Knicks (NBA) / New York Liberty (WNBA) / New York Rangers (NHL) […]

The long history of Key Arena goes all the way back to 1881, when a saloon owner named James Osborne bequeathed his estate to the city of Seattle. Osborne gave $900,000, requesting that it be used to build a “civic hall.” But it wasn’t until 8 years later, when David and Louisa Denny donated their […]

Joe Louis Arena isn’t old or even aging. But it’s not very modern either. Let’s be clear: there is nothing wrong with the place. There are no posts in anybody’s way. The building is roomy. The seats are comfortable. The place is fine. But it is amazing — and a bit disconcerting — to discover […]

You might remember in 1996 hearing about the scoreboard at what was then known asMarine Midland Arena, falling and crashing down on the ice hours before the Sabres played the Boston Bruins. Luckily nobody was hurt, but this incident made headlines throughout the news. Now known as the HSBC (Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation) Arena, […]

The arena opened in 1993 as the San Jose Arena, but to locals it is called the “Shark Tank” or just “The Tank.” In 2002 Hewlett-Packard purchased the naming rights and changed the name to what it is known as today.Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 17,482 Architect: Sink, Combs, Dethlefs Web Site: hppsj.com Phone: 408/287-9200 Anchor […]

Located in downtown Nashville, bars and restaurants surround the Sommet Center, and the arena is easy walking distance to many hotels as well. It is hard to miss with the 200-foot tower adjoining the arena, plus the glass wall revealing the pathways throughout the Sommet Center. Year Opened: 1996 Capacity: 17,500 Architect: HOK Sport / […]

Formerly known as the Fleet Center, TD Banknorth Garden opened on September 30, 1995 one day after the historic Boston Garden closed its doors to the public.  Home to both the NHL’s Boston Bruins and the NBA’s Boston Celtics, the state-of-the-art arena is a year-round, 19,600-seat facility, fully equipped with three private restaurants, 104 executive […]