Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center facts for kids
| "Vets", "The Barn" | |
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| Former names | Veterans Memorial Auditorium (1955–2012) |
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| Location | 833 5th Avenue Des Moines, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41°35′33″N 93°37′22″W / 41.59250°N 93.62278°W |
| Owner | Polk County, Iowa |
| Operator | Global Spectrum |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 1, 1955 |
| Renovated | 2010–2012 |
| Tenants | |
| Drake Bulldogs (NCAA) (1957–1992) Iowa Cornets (WBL) (1978–1979) Iowa Barnstormers (AFL/AF2) (1995–2001) Des Moines Dragons (IBA) (1997–2001) |
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The Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center is a large building in Des Moines, Iowa. It is part of the Iowa Events Center. This building was once known as Veterans Memorial Auditorium. It was built to honor World War II veterans from Polk County. The center first opened its doors on February 1, 1955.
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History of the Convention Center
The building was originally called Veterans Memorial Auditorium. People often called it "Vets" or "The Barn." It was a very important place for many years. It hosted lots of sports events and concerts in the Des Moines area.
Early Days and Famous Visitors
One of the first big stars to perform here was Elvis Presley. He played his first show at the auditorium on May 22, 1956. Elvis came back to perform two more times. His last concert there was on June 23, 1977.
Home to Sports Teams
The auditorium was home to the Drake Bulldogs university basketball team. They played there from 1957 to 1992. The building had 11,411 seats for basketball games. It could add more seats for concerts. It also hosted other minor league basketball and arena football teams. Many Iowa high school basketball and wrestling tournaments took place here. High school graduations were also often held at "Vets."
Major Events and Entertainment
Before the Wells Fargo Arena opened, "Vets" was the main spot for big events. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) even broadcast their WWE Raw show from this venue. A famous wrestling match happened here in 1989. It was a steel cage match between Hulk Hogan and Big Boss Man. This match was shown on Saturday Night's Main Event XXI.
Modern Renovations and New Purpose
When the Wells Fargo Arena opened, "Vets" became a supporting venue. In the fall of 2010, the auditorium closed for big renovations. It was updated to become a modern convention facility.
New Features and Naming
The renovation added a large 28,800-square-foot ballroom. It also created 25 new meeting rooms for the Iowa Events Center. During this time, the naming rights were sold. That is why it is now called the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. However, many people still call the building itself the Veterans Memorial building. A special area called Veterans Memorial Hall was also added. This hall honors the sacrifices of Iowa veterans since Iowa became a state.
