American Airlines Center facts for kids
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American Airlines Center in August 2015
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 American Airlines Center
Location in Texas
American Airlines Center
Location in the United States
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| Address | 2500 Victory Avenue |
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| Location | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 32°47′26″N 96°48′37″W / 32.79056°N 96.81028°W |
| Public transit |   Trinity Railway Express  Dallas Area Rapid Transit:Green Orange at Victory |
| Owner | City of Dallas |
| Operator | Center Operating Company, L.P. (a joint venture between the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars) |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,200, up to 21,146 with standing room Ice hockey: 18,532, up to 19,323 with standing room Concerts: 21,000 |
| Field size | 840,000 sq ft (78,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 1, 1999 |
| Opened | July 17, 2001 |
| Construction cost | US$420 million (US$694 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services, Inc. HKS, Inc. Johnson/McKibben Architects, Inc. |
| Project manager | International Facilities Group, LLC. |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore |
| Services engineer | Flack & Kurtz Inc. |
| General contractor | Austin Commercial/H.J. Russell |
| Tenants | |
| Dallas Mavericks (NBA) (2001–present) Dallas Stars (NHL) (2001–present) Dallas Desperados (AFL) (2002, 2004–2008) Dallas Vigilantes (AFL) (2010–2011) |
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The American Airlines Center (often called the AAC) is a huge indoor building in downtown Dallas, Texas. It's a place where many exciting things happen! It's the home stadium for two major sports teams: the Dallas Stars who play ice hockey, and the Dallas Mavericks who play basketball.
Besides sports, the American Airlines Center also hosts big concerts and other fun live shows. It first opened its doors on July 17, 2001. Building it cost about $420 million.
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Building the AAC: A Look Back
By 1998, both the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars needed a new place to play. Their old stadium, Reunion Arena, was getting old and too small. So, they decided to build a brand-new, modern arena.
Dallas taxpayers helped pay for part of the new arena through special taxes. The Mavericks and Stars teams paid for the rest of the costs. The new building was planned for an area north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway, where an old power plant used to be.
On March 18, 1999, American Airlines announced they would pay $195 million to have their name on the arena. American Airlines has its main office nearby in Fort Worth. The arena first used the old American Airlines logo, then switched to the current one in 2013.
The very first event at the AAC was an Eagles concert. This happened on July 18, 2001, just one day after the arena officially opened. The first sports game was on August 19, 2001, featuring the Dallas Sidekicks soccer team.
Cool Design of the Arena
The main design for the American Airlines Center was created by an architect named David M. Schwarz. He wanted the arena to be the center of a new, lively area in Dallas called Victory Park.
The building looks classic and strong, with brick walls and smooth arches. Inside, it has seats that can move, cool artwork, and lots of technology. Because of its rounded roof and the American Airlines name, some fans call it "The Hangar."
PNC Plaza: The Main Entrance
On the south side of the arena, you'll find PNC Plaza. This used to be called Victory Plaza and then AT&T Plaza. It's the main way to enter the building.
The plaza has open spaces with fountains and is surrounded by shops and offices. There are huge video screens that show events and movies. You can also see the Dirk Nowitzki statue here. It shows the famous Mavericks player making his special one-legged jump shot.
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Fans celebrating the Mavericks' NBA Championship in 2011
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Inside the arena before a Mavericks game in March 2010
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A Dallas Stars game in January 2020
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The west entrance before a Dallas Stars playoff game
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Exciting Events at the AAC
The American Airlines Center has hosted many memorable events over the years.
Sports Highlights
- The arena has hosted the Big 12 Basketball tournament for college teams several times, including in 2003, 2004, and 2006.
- The AAC was part of the 2006, 2011, and 2024 NBA Finals! The Dallas Mavericks played the Miami Heat in 2006 and 2011. The Heat won in 2006, but the Mavericks won in 2011. In 2024, the Mavericks played the Boston Celtics. Because American Airlines had naming rights for both arenas in the 2006 and 2011 Finals, some people called them the "American Airlines series."
- The 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held here on January 24, 2007.
- In 2020, fans gathered at the AAC for a watch party during the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals to cheer on the Dallas Stars.
- The arena has hosted many UFC fighting events, including UFC 103 in 2009 and UFC 277 in 2022.
- The AAC has also been a venue for WWE wrestling shows like Raw, SmackDown, and big pay-per-view events such as Survivor Series 2003 and 2014. In 2022, it hosted the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.
- On August 5, 2023, a big professional boxing match between Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz took place at the arena.
- On June 27, 2025, the WNBA's Dallas Wings played against the Indiana Fever here.
- Sometimes, unexpected things happen! In early 2022, two Mavericks games had to be delayed because the roof developed a leak.
On TV and in Movies
- The AAC was shown in an episode of The Simpsons called "The Burns and the Bees" as "Dallas Arena."
- In 2011, the arena hosted auditions for the TV singing competition The X Factor.
Interesting Facts
- The American Airlines Center was built in an area that was once part of a historic Mexican American neighborhood called Little Mexico.
- When the arena first opened, there was a funny mistake! The glass in some bathrooms allowed people outside to see in. It was quickly changed to the correct type of glass the next week.
See also
In Spanish: American Airlines Center para niños
- List of indoor arenas by capacity
