Pershing Center facts for kids
Pershing Center in 2015
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| Former names | Pershing Auditorium |
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| Location | 226 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°48′42″N 96°41′55″W / 40.81167°N 96.69861°W |
| Public transit | StarTran |
| Owner | City of Lincoln |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | 4,526 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1955 |
| Opened | March 10, 1957 |
| Closed | August 23, 2014 |
| Demolished | August–September 2023 |
| Construction cost | $1.5 million |
| Tenants | |
| Lincoln Capitols (NIFL) (1999–2006) No Coast Derby Girls (WFTDA) (2005–2014) Lincoln Haymakers (CPIFL) (2013–2014) |
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| Website | |
| (offline) | |
The Pershing Center was a large building in Lincoln, Nebraska, used for many different events. It had seats for 4,526 people. When it first opened on March 10, 1957, it was called Pershing Auditorium. The building was named after a famous general, John J. Pershing.
Over the years, the Pershing Center hosted many sports teams. These included indoor football teams like the Lincoln Capitols and Lincoln Haymakers. It was also home to the No Coast Roller Derby team. The Pershing Center was taken down in August 2023.
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The Story of Pershing Center
Lincoln had an earlier public building that opened in 1900. It was owned by Lancaster County. Sadly, that building burned down in an accident in 1928.
By 1931, the city of Lincoln started planning a new building. They decided to name it after General John J. Pershing. This name was chosen based on votes from local students. In 1939, people in Lincoln voted to spend $750,000 to build the new auditorium. More money was approved in 1950, costing $1.5 million. The plans for the Pershing Center were approved in 1955, and it opened two years later.
On May 4, 1959, a special time capsule was hidden under the building. It was meant to be opened exactly 100 years later, on May 4, 2059.
Why a New Arena Was Needed
Around 2008 and 2009, people started talking about building a bigger arena in Lincoln. The Pershing Center was becoming too small for many big concerts and shows. The music and entertainment industry was changing. Many tours needed larger venues than Pershing could offer.
Because of this, the Pershing Center was hosting fewer concerts. The city council even had to provide extra money to help cover its costs. A new, larger arena was built in Lincoln's Haymarket District. This new arena, called Pinnacle Bank Arena, opened in August 2013.
The very last major concert at the Pershing Center was by the Goo Goo Dolls on August 6, 2014. The final event ever held there was a roller derby match. It took place on August 23, 2014, between the No Coast Derby Girls and the Kansas City Roller Warriors. The Kansas City team won that last match.
What Happened to Pershing Center?
After the new arena opened, the city of Lincoln looked for new ways to use the Pershing Center. They asked for ideas in 2014, but none of the suggestions were affordable. This meant the building might have to be torn down. In early 2015, many items from inside the Pershing Center were sold off in an auction.
For a few years, the building remained standing. It was mostly used to store things for the Pinnacle Bank Arena. Many groups offered ideas for its future, but the city didn't find any that worked.
In June 2020, it was announced that the Pershing Center would be demolished. The plan was to build an apartment complex and a new library in its place. Many people in the community wanted to save the large, famous mural on the outside of the building. This mural was carefully removed and saved by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation in October 2022. It will be put back up at the Wyuka Cemetery.
Before the demolition, the time capsule was opened early in March 2023. It was opened 36 years before its planned date! The actual demolition of the building began in August 2023.
The Amazing Mural
The outside of the Pershing Center had a huge, colorful ceramic tile mural. It was designed by artists Leonard Thiessen and Bill J. Hammon. The mural showed 38 different figures. They were playing sports, dancing, and performing in theater and circus acts.
This mural was enormous! It measured 38 feet tall and 140 feet wide. It was made up of 763,000 tiny one-inch square pieces. When it was built, it was the largest ceramic tile mural in the entire United States.
When people heard the Pershing Center would be torn down, many wanted to save the mural. It cost about $1.2 million to carefully remove and save it. The Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation took it down in October 2022. It was later announced that the mural would find a new home at the Wyuka Cemetery grounds.
Sports Events at Pershing Center
The Pershing Center was a popular place for sports. It was home to several teams:
- The Lincoln Capitols, an indoor football team.
- The Lincoln Thunder, a basketball team.
- The No Coast Derby Girls, a roller derby league.
- The Lincoln Haymakers, another indoor football team.
The arena also hosted many important high school championships. These included the state basketball and volleyball championships for boys and girls. It was also famous for hosting the national roller-skating championships 28 times. The last roller-skating event there was in 2014, called "Last Lap at Pershing."
Concerts and Other Fun Events
The Pershing Center hosted a wide variety of events. These included concerts by famous musicians and professional wrestling shows.
Some legendary bands played there:
- The Doors played their first concert after their singer, Jim Morrison, passed away. This was on November 12, 1971.
- The Grateful Dead performed on February 26, 1973. Part of their live album, Dick's Picks Volume 28, was recorded at this show.
- The building's outside and marquee sign were even shown in the 1981 film, This is Elvis. This was because it hosted one of Elvis Presley's final concerts in 1977.
- The band Phish also played at the arena in 1995.
