Arizona State Fairgrounds facts for kids

The Arizona State Fairgrounds is a special place in Phoenix, Arizona, where many exciting events happen every year. It's located on McDowell Road in the Encanto Village area. People mostly know it for hosting the big Arizona State Fair and the Maricopa County Fair.

A famous building here is the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This arena was once home to the Phoenix Suns basketball team from 1968 to 1992. They played many games there before moving to a new arena.

The fairgrounds also used to have a dirt oval track. This track hosted important car races, including AAA National Championship and USAC National Championship races from 1915 to 1963. It also held NASCAR Grand National races in the 1950s and 1960. A new track, Phoenix Raceway, took its place in 1964.

History of the Fairgrounds

The Arizona State Fairgrounds began in 1905. A group of volunteers, called the Arizona Territorial Fair Association, bought the land and started developing it. Back then, Arizona was not yet a state; it was a "territory" of the United States.

In 1909, the government stepped in. The Territorial Fair Commission bought the grounds. When Arizona officially became a state in 1912, this group became the State Fair Commission. They have managed the fairgrounds ever since.

Buildings and Fun Places

The fairgrounds has many different buildings, each with its own purpose. Here are some of the main ones:

• The Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum: This is a large indoor arena with 14,870 seats. It's used for concerts, sports, and many other big events.
• The Party Gras: This building was built in 1918 and is the oldest on the fairgrounds. It was first known as the Gem and Mineral Building.
• Grandstand: Built in 1936-1937, this area has 5,000 covered seats. It replaced an older wooden grandstand that had burned down. The outside walls have cool art panels created by David Carrick Swing and Florence Blakeslee. The Grandstand Arena is an outdoor space used for exciting events like horse shows, rodeos, tractor pulls, and even demolition derbies.
• WPA Administration Building: This historic concrete building was finished in 1938. It was built by the Works Projects Administration (WPA), a government program during the Great Depression. It served as their main office for projects in Arizona.
• The Hacienda de Mexico: This is a 12,546 square foot covered area, like a small indoor market.
• The Home Arts Center: A building covering 13,584 square feet, likely used for exhibits related to home crafts and skills.
• The Agriculture Center: This area has two buildings, totaling 61,000 square feet. It's designed for large shows, especially those involving livestock like farm animals.
• Wesley Bolin Building: An exhibit space almost 20,000 square feet in size.
• Arizona Plaza: A 17,184 square foot complex built in the traditional adobe style.
• Exhibit Building: A very large 50,000 square foot building used for big shows and commercial displays.

Saving the WPA Administration Building

The WPA Administration Building was completed in 1939. Over the years, it started to show its age. In July 2014, there were plans to tear it down. However, people who care about saving historic buildings protested this idea.

They went to court and got a temporary order to stop the demolition. They were given until April 14, 2016, to raise $120,000 to help save the building. They succeeded! On April 8, 2016, the Phoenix City Council gave them a $120,000 grant. Another $80,000 grant came from the Phoenix IDA, helping to preserve this important piece of history.

Gallery

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  This historic building was first known as the Gem and Mineral Building.

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  The side wall of the Gem and Mineral Building

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  Close up view of the Gem and Mineral Building

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  Inside the Gem and Mineral Building

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  The historic Arizona State Fair Grandstand

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  Different view of the historic Arizona State Fair Grandstand

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  The Arizona State Fair WPA Civic Building

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  The front entrance of the Arizona State Fair WPA Civic Building

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  The Arizona State Fair Home Economics Building was built in 1940

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  Close up view of the Arizona State Fair Home Economics.