Peoria Civic Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peoria Civic Center |
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Peoria Civic Center
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| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°41′31″N 89°35′39″W / 40.6920°N 89.5943°W |
| Operator | ASM GLobal |
| Built | April 30, 1979 – 1982 |
| Inaugurated | June 6, 1982 |
| Renovated | 1992 |
| Expanded | 2007 |
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Construction cost
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$64.2 million ($259 million in 2022 dollars ) $55 million (2007 renovations) ($82.4 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 6,500 (Peoria Civic Center Ballroom) 300 (Lexus Club) |
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Theatre seating
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2,244 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 108,668 square feet (10,095.6 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 17,355 square feet (1,612.3 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 28,667 square feet (2,663.3 m2) |
Peoria Civic Center is a convention center in downtown Peoria, Illinois. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson, it has an arena, theater, exhibit hall and meeting rooms. It opened in 1982 and completed an expansion to its lobby and meeting facilities in 2007. On the grounds of the Peoria Civic Center sits the massive "Sonar Tide," the last and largest sculpture of the pioneer of abstract minimalism Ronald Bladen.
Contents
History
The site of the Civic Center includes the spot at Liberty Street and Jefferson Street where Moses and Lucy Pettengill lived from 1836 to 1862; that house was part of the Underground Railroad and Moses was also an Underground Railroad "conductor". In 1862, the Pettingills moved out of downtown and to Moss Avenue, where the present Pettengill–Morron House was built in 1868. The downtown home was demolished in 1910 to make way for the Jefferson Hotel. The hotel, in turn, was imploded in 1978 to make way for the Civic Center.
The first event at the Civic Center was a home and garden show in the Exhibit Hall in February 1982.
Facilities
Carver Arena
| Capacity | 9,919 (Ice hockey and indoor football) 11,433 (Basketball) 12,036 (Concerts) |
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| Tenants | |
| Bradley Braves (NCAA) (1982–present) Peoria Prancers/Rivermen (IHL) (1982–1996) Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) (1996–2005) Peoria Pirates (IFL/AF2) (1999–2004, 2008–2009) Peoria Rough Riders (UIF) (2005–2006) Peoria Rivermen (AHL) (2005–2013) Peoria Rivermen (SPHL) (2013–present) |
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As of 2013[update], seating capacity was 9,919 for hockey and indoor football, 11,433 for basketball and up to 12,036 for concerts.
Carver Arena has been hosts to acts such as Eagles, Elton John, Bob Seger, Kiss, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Cher, James Taylor, Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, The Harlem Globetrotters, World Wrestling Entertainment, Disney, Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, and basketball exhibition games for the Chicago Bulls.
Bob Seger set the record for the highest grossing concert in venue history on January 22, 2019. The previous record was held by an Elton John concert in 2011.
Blake Shelton is top selling country performer in venue history with his sold out February 28, 2019 performance.
Carver Arena hosted the Illinois High School Association boys' basketball state finals for two weeks every March from 1996 until 2019. The interactive March Madness Experience took place in the adjacent exhibition hall during the tournaments.
Theater
Steve Martin and Martin Short's Now You See Them, Soon You Won't event on April 20, 2019 set the record for top comedy show in Peoria Civic Center Theater's History.
Tenants
- Peoria Symphony Orchestra
- Peoria Ballet
