Giant Center facts for kids
 |
|
 |
|
| Address | 550 West Hersheypark Drive |
|---|---|
| Location | Hershey, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°17′11″N 76°40′9″W / 40.28639°N 76.66917°W |
| Owner | Derry Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority |
| Operator | Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company |
| Capacity | 12,500 (concerts) 10,500 (hockey) |
| Field size | 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 8, 2000 |
| Opened | October 15, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $65 million ($106 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Project manager | Reynolds Construction Management, Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Century Engineering |
| Services engineer | Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. |
| General contractor | Hunt/Whiting-Turner |
| Tenants | |
| Hershey Bears (AHL) (2002–present) Harrisburg Stampede (PIFL) (2014) |
|
The Giant Center is a large building in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It's a place where many different events happen. It has 10,500 seats for hockey games. This arena is the home of the Hershey Bears ice hockey team. The Bears are a very old team. They have been part of the American Hockey League since 1938. The Giant Center opened in 2002. It took the place of the Hersheypark Arena as the Bears' home.
The Giant Center is owned by the Derry Township Industrial and Commercial Development Authority. Much of the money to build it came from the state of Pennsylvania. The Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company runs the arena. The name "Giant Center" comes from the Giant-Carlisle grocery store chain. This company owns the naming rights.
The arena has seats on two main levels. There are 7,700 seats on the lower level. The upper level has 2,800 seats. There are also special Club Seats and Luxury Suites. Spaces for wheelchairs are available on all levels.
History of Giant Center
Besides hockey games, the Giant Center hosts many concerts. Famous entertainers come to perform here every year. The very first show was by the singer Cher. She performed on October 15, 2002. Over 9,400 tickets were sold for her concert. Since then, many popular acts have visited. These include American Idol Live! and the Harlem Globetrotters. In 2003, the Giant Center also held a WWE wrestling event called Unforgiven.
The Giant Center has also hosted large public gatherings. For example, political rallies have taken place here. On October 28, 2008, a rally for a presidential candidate was held. Another rally in 2016 set an attendance record. About 12,500 people were inside the building. Thousands more watched on screens outside.
WWE Raw wrestling shows have also been held here. One special Thanksgiving episode was on November 23, 2009. Another "Old School" themed episode happened on November 15, 2010. Many other Raw and WWE Friday Night SmackDown shows have been at the Giant Center.
The biggest crowd ever at the Giant Center was 11,002 people. This happened on June 14, 2010. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup Championship that night. They beat the Texas Stars in Game 6 of the finals.
The Giant Center also hosted a big hockey event in 2011. It was the 2011 AHL All-Star Game. The Skills Competition was held on January 30–31, 2011.
In 2014, another sports team played here. The Harrisburg Stampede of the Professional Indoor Football League called it home.
In 2015, Elizabethtown College used the arena. They hosted the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.
Before the 2015-2016 hockey season, the arena got a big upgrade. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts spent $4.7 million. They added a new four-sided HD scoreboard. It hangs in the center of the arena. New LED screens were also added. These include a standings board and a ribbon around the seating area. The new scoreboard's video screens are very large. They are about 13.5 feet tall and 24 feet wide.
On October 1, 2016, country music star Carrie Underwood performed. She broke the record for the most attended concert. Her stage was set up in a 360-degree circle. This gave everyone a great view of the show. She came back to perform again on June 13, 2019.
On October 25, 2016, the arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.
Concessions and Food
In 2007, the Giant Center changed its drink offerings. All food and drink stands switched from Coca-Cola to Pepsi products. This change made the arena's operations match other places in the Hershey Entertainment Complex.
The Giant Center has many food choices. You can find classic fast food items. These include chicken tenders, hamburgers, and hot dogs. They also offer Italian food. There's a coffee shop with flavored coffees and pastries. The Smokehouse offers smoked pork BBQ and chicken. The Cross Check Cafe has deli sandwiches, soup, and salads. Most places also have special meals for kids. Turkey Hill ice cream is also available. It's a local company from nearby Lancaster County. In 2014, Arooga's Wing Shack opened. They offer chicken tenders and wings with many sauces.
Since the arena is in Hershey, you can find Hershey's chocolate products. They are available at most of the food stands.
| Preceded by Hersheypark Arena |
Home of the Hershey Bears 2002–present |
Succeeded by current |
Images for kids
-
A wide view of a Hershey Bears game.
-
The Giant Center before a game against the Lake Erie Monsters.
-
The front of the Giant Center building.
-
Looking inside the Giant Center from the ice level.
