Neal S. Blaisdell Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neal S. Blaisdell Center |
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| Address | 777 Ward Ave Honolulu, Hawaii 96814-2166 |
| Location | Downtown Honolulu, Oahu |
| Coordinates | 21°18′00″N 157°51′02″W / 21.29991°N 157.85062°W |
| Owner | City and County of Honolulu |
| Opened | September 12, 1964 |
| Renovated | 1994 |
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Construction cost
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$14 million |
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Former names
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Honolulu International Center (1964–76) |
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Classroom-style seating
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| Banquet/ballroom |
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Theatre seating
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| Enclosed space | |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 65,000 square feet (6,000 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 3,200 square feet (300 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 23,700 square feet (2,200 m2) |
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is a large community center in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's a busy place with many different areas. You can find an arena, a concert hall, and an exhibition hall here. There are also meeting rooms and the famous Waikiki Shell nearby.
This center was built in 1964. It was first called the Honolulu International Center. Later, it was renamed after Neal S. Blaisdell, who was the Mayor of Honolulu. He helped make sure the center was built. The center was updated and made bigger in 1994. The City and County of Honolulu manages the center. They are looking at ways to improve the site for the community in the future.
Contents
Fun Events and Spaces
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is a hub for all sorts of exciting events. From big concerts to thrilling sports games, there's always something happening. Let's explore the main parts of the center.
The Arena
The Neal S. Blaisdell Arena is a round building where many big events take place. It's used for concerts by famous singers and bands. It also hosts major sporting events. The arena can hold about 7,700 people for sports. For concerts, it can fit up to 8,800 people when extra seats are added on the floor.
A very famous concert happened here on January 14, 1973. It was Elvis Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii" show. This concert was seen by people all over the world! To remember this special event, a bronze statue of Elvis was placed outside the arena in 2007.
Many other cool events have been held at the arena. These include WWE wrestling shows and "Disney on Ice" performances. You might also see "American Idol Live!" or "Sesame Street Live" here. College basketball and volleyball games are often played at the arena. International gymnastics events also take place. Famous music artists like Kiss, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Bruno Mars have performed here.
The Philippine TV show ASAP also had a big international concert here in 2018.
Sports Action
The Arena is a popular spot for sports. The Los Angeles Lakers basketball team sometimes starts their practice season here. Hawaii Pacific University's basketball and volleyball teams also play their home games at the arena. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa basketball team used to play here too. They moved to their own arena in 1994.
The Blaisdell Arena has also been home to several professional sports teams. These included basketball teams like the Hawaii Volcanos and the Hawaii Hurricanes. Tennis fans enjoyed watching the Hawaii Leis. Indoor football teams like the Hawaiian Islanders also played here.
In 1982, a huge upset in college basketball happened at the arena. A small school called Chaminade University beat the top-ranked University of Virginia team. Virginia had a future Hall of Fame player named Ralph Sampson. Chaminade's win was a big surprise!
Many schools hold their graduation ceremonies at the arena and concert hall each year. The WWE also brought its popular shows Raw and SmackDown LIVE to the arena in 2018.
The Concert Hall
The Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall is a beautiful space with 2,158 seats. It's the main home for the Honolulu Symphony orchestra. The Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre also performs here.
Many famous Broadway shows have come to the concert hall. These include The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and The Lion King. Other popular shows like Rent, Miss Saigon, Chicago, and Cats have also been performed.
The Exhibition Hall
The Exhibition Hall is located between the Concert Hall and the Arena. It's a large open space perfect for big shows. It has about 65,000 square feet (6,000 square meters) of space. This can even be expanded to 85,000 square feet (7,900 square meters) with nearby areas. There are also five meeting rooms available.
This hall hosts many different events throughout the year. You can find craft fairs, family expos, and job fairs here. Food and product shows are also very popular. It's one of the main places in Honolulu for large exhibitions.
Other Events
The Neal S. Blaisdell Center is also used for many other community events. Religious ceremonies have taken place here. Kamehameha Schools has held its annual song contest at the Blaisdell since 1964. This is a very important event for the school.
