I-X Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids International Exposition Center |
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| Address | One I-X Center Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44135 |
| Coordinates | 41°23′55″N 81°51′11″W / 41.39850°N 81.85312°W |
| Owner | City of Cleveland |
| Operator | Park Corp. |
| Built | 1942 |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 2,200,000 square feet (200,000 m2) |
| Website | |
| http://www.ixcenter.com/ | |
The International Exposition Center, usually known as the I-X Center, was a very large building in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was a special place for big meetings and exhibitions. It was located right next to the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
This huge building was about 2,200,000-square-foot (200,000 m2) in size. Over 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m2) of this space was used for shows and conferences. This made it one of the biggest places for events in the whole United States. Many different kinds of shows happened there. These included one of the country's largest boat shows and other trade shows. It also hosted banquets and meetings. More than 2 million people visited the I-X Center every year.
The building was first located in Brook Park, Ohio. But in 2001, the building and about 90 acres (36 ha) of land around it became part of Cleveland. This happened because of a land swap. In return, most of the NASA Glenn Research Center moved to Brook Park.
Sadly, it was announced that the I-X Center would close in 2020. This was due to the problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
History of the I-X Center
The I-X Center building was first built in 1942. It was a factory run by General Motors. During World War II, it was called the Cleveland Bomber Plant. Workers there built bomber planes. For a while, they built parts for the B-29 Superfortress. They also built the experimental XP-75 plane.
After the war, the factory changed. For many years, it was used to build tanks. Several types of tanks were made there. These included the M41 Walker Bulldog, the M56 Scorpion, and the M551 Sheridan. Former workers at the tank plant said there were at least two, maybe three, basement levels. One basement even had a large pool. This pool was used to test if the tanks were waterproof.
The building was empty from 1970 to 1977. Then, a company called Park Corp. bought it. They wanted to turn it into a big exhibition hall. The building reopened in 1985 as the I-X Center. In 2001, Park Corp. sold the building to the City of Cleveland. However, Park Corp. still rented and managed the center.
In 1990, the I-X Center helped out North Olmsted High School. Two students had set fire to the school, causing a lot of damage. So, the I-X Center became a temporary home for the high school.
In 2008, the I-X Center got bigger. They added 185,000 square feet (17,200 m2) more space for exhibitions. This made the total exhibition floor about 985,000 square feet (91,500 m2). The entire ceiling was also repainted for the first time since 1984. It took 27,000 gallons of paint!
The I-X Center hosted many exciting events. On May 3–4, 2014, it held the first Pro Football Hall of Fame Fan Fest. About 100 famous NFL Hall of Famers attended. These included Jim Brown, Joe Namath, and Terry Bradshaw. The center also hosted the National Sports Collectors Convention seven times.
In mid-September 2020, the I-X Center Corporation announced its closure. The facility would close at the end of 2020. This decision was made because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It had been open for over 35 years. A company called Gojo Industries has since rented part of the building for storage.
The Famous Ferris Wheel
The I-X Center had a very tall Ferris wheel inside. It was 125-foot (38 m) high! This Ferris wheel was a main attraction at the yearly IX Indoor Amusement Park. It first appeared at the 1992 Greater Cleveland Auto Show. At that time, it was the tallest indoor Ferris wheel in the world. The very top of the wheel was inside a glass room. This part rose about 35 feet (11 m) above the main roof of the building. The Ferris wheel usually did not run during trade shows.
