Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,103 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball. Opened in 1989, the Coliseum's $26 million Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² (0.100-km2) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows and other events with seating for 7,500.

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne Coliseum, The Jungle
Former namesWar Memorial Coliseum
Address4000 Parnell Avenue
LocationFort Wayne, Indiana
Coordinates41°6′56″N 85°7′28″W
OwnerAllen County
OperatorAllen County
CapacityIce hockey/Concerts: 10,480
Basketball: 13,000
Construction
Broke groundJanuary 24, 1950
OpenedSeptember 28, 1952
Construction cost1952: $2,647,390
($25.5 million in 2019 dollars[1])
1989: $26 million
2002: $35 million
2013: $3.96 million
ArchitectA.M. Strauss
General contractorHagerman Construction Corp.
Tenants
Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL) (1952–present)
Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA) (1952–1957)
Fort Wayne Flames (AISA) (1986–1989)
Indiana Kick (AISA) (1989–1990)
Fort Wayne Fury (CBA) (1991–2001)
Fort Wayne Mastodons (NCAA) (2001–2013, occasional games since)
Fort Wayne Freedom (NIFL/UIF/CIFL) (2003–2006, 2008–2009)
Fort Wayne Fusion (AF2) (2007)
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (NBA G League) (2007–present)
Fort Wayne Firehawks (CIFL) (2010)
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum with construction nearly completed.
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in 2020 from a similar elevation and angle as to the construction photo.

In 2002, an extensive $35 million renovation and expansion raised the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum's roof by 41 feet (12 m), thus increasing the arena's seating capacity to 10,500 for hockey or music concerts and 13,000 for basketball. The structure was designed by A.M. Strauss Architects.

Sports

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the current home of the:

Major events

In basketball, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has hosted the 1955 and 1956 NBA Finals, the 1953 NBA All-Star Game, and the 2014 and 2015 NBA D-League Finals.[2] Memorial Coliseum has also hosted several NCAA events, including the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournaments and the 1988, 1994, and 2000 NCAA Final Four Men's Division I Volleyball Championships. Most recently, the University of Notre Dame hosted the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament Midwest Regional at Memorial Coliseum.[3]

The arena has hosted college wrestling tournaments as well as the sectional, regional and semistate championships of the IHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament during the one-class era.

The Coliseum was selected in April 2017 as one of the sites for the "Sweet 16" round of the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship and the "Final Four" of the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.[4]

The Coliseum has hosted several live events by World Wrestling Entertainment.

The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum complex includes the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center and Holiday Inn, managed in cooperation with PurdueFW.

Exposition Center

Within the same complex as the arena, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² (0.100-km2) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows, banquets, graduation ceremonies, concerts, truck and tractor pulls, and wrestling matches, with the capability of seating 7,500 guests.[5] When no events are scheduled for the arena, the Exposition Center's capacity can extend to a total of 175,000-ft² (0.162-km2). The Exposition Center was added in the $26 million renovation and expansion of the complex, completed in 1989.

The arena during a Komets hockey game.

Grounds

The grounds immediately surrounding the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum display the anchor from World War II's USS Indiana battleship. South and east of the central complex is an expansive parking lot, containing 4,500 available parking spaces.[6] To the south and west along the St. Joseph River, lies Johnny Appleseed Park, containing the gravesite of American folklore figure John Chapman. To the north and northeast is the PurdueFW campus, especially the portion of the PurdueFW campus located on the western bank of the St. Joseph, on which a 151-room Holiday Inn is located.[7]

Recent construction

In 2013, a $3.96 million renovation and expansion of the 200 Level was completed. The project included upgraded restrooms with LED lighting, no-touch sinks, no-touch toilets, and no-touch urinals, and the addition of two food courts with three new vendors. Other restrooms throughout the Memorial Coliseum were upgraded in 2014.[8] The ribbon cutting ceremony was October 11, 2013.

Other events

Midget car racing

The Coliseum Arena hosted the first ever United States Auto Club race in 1956, a 100-lap midget car race at a 1/10 mile oval.[9] The event continued until 1989, usually with two separate events in early and late January.

Since 1998, the Coliseum Exposition Center has hosted the Rumble in Fort Wayne, an annual midget car race. Featuring a 1/6 mile flat oval, it takes place at the end of the year, and after most major racing series seasons have ended. It has allowed drivers from major racing series to participate: Dave Darland, Tracy Hines, J. J. Yeley, Bryan Clauson, Sammy Swindell; with NASCAR, USAC, and IndyCar champion Tony Stewart having the most feature wins at 9.[10]

Politics

On May 1, 2016, Donald Trump held a campaign rally ahead of the Indiana Primary election at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Over 12,500 were in attendance.

On November 5, 2018, then President Donald Trump returned to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on the eve of the Midterm Election, holding a rally for his administration and to aid Mike Braun in his efforts to win a seat in the United States Senate. Coliseum officials estimated 20,000 Trump supporters attended the rally. [11]

References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. NBA All-Star Games - Names and Numbers. Basketball Digest, (March, 2002). Retrieved on May 16, 2008.
  3. "Fort Wayne bids to bring NCAA Championships to town". Visit Fort Wayne.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2017-04-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Who We Are Archived 2008-05-11 at the Wayback Machine. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Retrieved on July 24, 2008.
  6. Our Facility - Parking Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Retrieved on July 24, 2008.
  7. Glenn, Jenni, (July 21, 2008).A fresh image for Holiday Inn; City hotel first in state with new logo, amenities. The Journal Gazette. Retrieved on July 25, 2008.
  8. Leininger, Kevin (2013-04-20). "New food courts, restrooms coming to Memorial Coliseum". The News-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-16.
  9. Gene Hartley Won The First USAC Race In January 1956 - Keith Waltz, Speed Sport, 20 January 2010
  10. "Rumble in Fort Wayne Midget Records prior to 2013 event" (PDF). Rumbleseries.com. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  11. "President Trump stumps for GOP candidates at Fort Wayne rally". wane.com. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
North Side High School Gym		 Home of the
Fort Wayne Pistons
1952–1957		 Succeeded by
Olympia Coliseum
Preceded by
Boston Garden		 Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
1953		 Succeeded by
Madison Square Garden
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