Louisville Gardens facts for kids
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| Former names | Jefferson County Armory Louisville Convention Center |
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| Location | Louisville, Kentucky |
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Jefferson County Armory
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| Built | 1905 |
| Built by | Caldwell & Drake |
| Architect | Davis, Brinton B. |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001606 |
| Added to NRHP | March 24, 1980 |
| Owner | City of Louisville |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Opened | 1905 |
| Tenants | |
| Louisville Cardinals (NCAA) (1945–1956) Louisville Blades (USHL/IHL) (1949–1951) Louisville Shooting Stars (IHL) (1953–1954) Kentucky Colonels (ABA) (1967–1970) Louisville Catbirds (CBA) (1983–1985) Louisville Shooters (GBA) (1991–1992) Kentucky Colonels (ABA) (2004–2006) |
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The Louisville Gardens is a large building in Louisville, Kentucky. It can hold up to 6,000 people. It first opened in 1905 as the Jefferson County Armory. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It has been a key place for many events in Louisville for over a hundred years.
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A Look Back: The History of Louisville Gardens
This building has had many different jobs over the years. It started as an armory, which is a place where military groups store weapons and train. Later, it became a popular spot for sports, concerts, and important speeches.
Famous people have performed or spoken here. Elvis Presley sang to a full house in 1956. The famous pop group Jackson 5 (then known as "The Jacksons") also performed here in 1979. Important leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Harry Truman gave speeches at the venue.
The building also hosted professional wrestling events. The WWE used it as a training center for new wrestlers for a while. They even held two big pay-per-view events there.
In 1956, a newer, larger venue called Freedom Hall opened. It took over as the main place for many city events. However, Louisville Gardens continued to be used for various gatherings. For example, it helped with Hurricane Katrina flood relief efforts.
Sports and Games at the Arena
The Louisville Gardens has been home to many sports teams. It was especially popular for basketball and ice hockey.
Basketball Teams and Tournaments
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team played their home games here from 1945 to 1956. They had a great record, winning 153 games and losing only 23. They played a few more games there until 1972.
The Kentucky Wildcats also played 72 games at the armory between 1937 and 1956. They won 61 of those games. The SEC men's basketball tournament was held here every year from 1941 to 1952. The Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament also took place here many times.
The Kentucky Colonels, a team from the American Basketball Association, played their games here from 1967 to 1970. During this time, a woman named Penny Ann Early made history. On November 24, 1968, she became the first female to play in a men's professional league game for the Colonels.
Other basketball teams that called the Gardens home include the Louisville Catbirds (1983–1985), the Louisville Shooters (1991–1992), and another version of the Kentucky Colonels (2004–2006). The University of Louisville women's basketball team also played some games here in the 1997–98 season.
Ice Hockey Teams
The building also hosted ice hockey games. Teams like the Louisville Blades and the Louisville Shooting Stars used the Gardens as their home ice.
Different Names for the Building
Over the years, the building has been known by a few different names. For a long time, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, people called it the Convention Center or Louisville Convention Center.
In 1975, it was officially renamed Louisville Gardens. This happened when a new convention center, now called the Kentucky International Convention Center, was being built.
What's Happening Now
In 2007, a company called the Cordish Company took over running the Gardens. This was part of a big plan to develop downtown Louisville. However, in 2012, Cordish was no longer in charge of the Gardens.
More recently, in 2022, plans were announced for the building to get a new life. It is planned to be turned into a soundstage, which is a special studio used for making movies or TV shows.
See also
