St. Louis Arena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. Louis Arena

Former names	Checkerdome (1977–1983)
Location	5700 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates	38°37′45″N 90°16′58″W / 38.62917°N 90.28278°W / 38.62917; -90.28278
Owner	City of St. Louis
Operator	City of St. Louis
Capacity	Ice hockey: 14,200 (1929–1968) 14,500 (1968–1969) 15,500 (1969–1970) 17,776 (1970–1971) 17,821 (1971–1972) 18,005 (1972–1974) 18,008 (1974–1975) 18,006 (1975–1978) 17,968 (1978–1985) 17,640 (1985–1988) 17,188 (1988–1994)
Construction
Broke ground	1927
Opened	September 23, 1929
Closed	May 23, 1994
Demolished	February 27, 1999
Construction cost	US$1.5 million
Architect	Gustel R. Kiewitt and Herman M. Sohrmann
General contractor	Boaz-Kiel Construction Company
Tenants
St. Louis Flyers (AHA/AHL) (1929–1953) St. Louis Eagles (NHL) (1934–1935) Chicago Black Hawks (NHL) (occasional use; 1951–1959) Toledo-St. Louis Mercurys (IHL) (1959–1960) St. Louis Braves (CHL) (1963–1967) St. Louis Blues (NHL) (1967–1994) St. Louis Hawks (NBA) (occasional use; 1955–1968) St. Louis Bombers (NBA) (1946–1950) St. Louis Stars (NASL) (1971, 1974) Spirits of St. Louis (ABA) (1974–1976) St. Louis Steamers (MISL) (1979–1988) St. Louis Storm (MISL) (1989–1992) St. Louis Ambush (NPSL) (1992–1994) St. Louis Vipers (RHI) (1993–1994) Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball (NCAA) (1968–1973 and 1991–1994) Saint Louis Billikens men's ice hockey (1970–1979)

The St. Louis Arena was a famous indoor sports and entertainment building in St. Louis, Missouri. It was also known as the Checkerdome from 1977 to 1983. When it opened in 1929, it was the second-largest indoor venue in the entire country.

The Arena was home to the St. Louis Blues hockey team and many other sports teams. It also hosted huge concerts, conventions, and other exciting events. The building was located right across from Forest Park's Aviation Field. It was torn down in 1999.

History of the St. Louis Arena

After the 1904 World's Fair, St. Louis stopped hosting big yearly agriculture and horse shows. The city had torn down its old music hall. A new building, the St. Louis Coliseum, was built for smaller events like boxing.

In 1928, the National Dairy Show wanted St. Louis to be the permanent home for its yearly meeting. There was no public money for a new building. So, a group of business people raised private funds. They planned to build a $2 million arena.

Building the Arena: A Unique Design

The National Exposition Company hired Gustel R. Kiewitt as the architect. The Boaz-Kiel Construction Company was the main builder. Kiewitt designed a special roof called a lamella roof. This roof used strong steel supports that curved upwards. This meant there were no pillars inside to block people's view.

The roof was made of thick Douglas fir wood ribs. These ribs were fitted together diagonally. They looked a bit like fish scales. The huge building was finished in 1929, just over a year after construction started. It was 476 feet long and 276 feet wide. Only Madison Square Garden was bigger in the country. You could have fit a 13-story building inside it!

Changes and Renovations Over Time

After the 1940s, the Arena was not kept up very well. A tornado in February 1959 damaged its roof. After repairs, it reopened as the home of the St. Louis Braves hockey team. During these repairs, fences that separated people by race were removed. These fences had been there since the time of the St. Louis Eagles team.

The Arena was always being updated. By the time the Blues left in 1994, it could hold almost 20,000 fans. Many people thought it had the best views for watching games. It was also known as one of the loudest arenas in the league.

Famous Games and Events

The Arena hosted many important sports events. In 1971, the St. Louis Stars held the first professional indoor soccer tournament there.

In 1973, the NCAA Men's Basketball Final was held at the Arena. The UCLA Bruins, led by coach John Wooden, won the championship. Star player Bill Walton scored 44 points! Over 19,000 fans watched this exciting game.

In 1974, the St. Louis Stars soccer team played against the Red Army team from Russia. Over 12,000 people came to watch this special indoor soccer match.

The 1978 NCAA Basketball Final also took place here. The Kentucky Wildcats defeated Duke. Jack Givens scored 41 points for Kentucky.

From 1980 to 1993, the Arena hosted the "Braggin' Rights" basketball game. This was a big rivalry game between the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois.

The Spirits of St. Louis: Basketball Fun

After the St. Louis Hawks basketball team left in 1968, the Spirits of St. Louis brought pro basketball back. The Spirits played at the Arena for the last two seasons of the American Basketball Association (ABA). This was from 1974 to 1976.

A young Bob Costas was their radio announcer. Famous players like Steve Jones, Marvin Barnes, Maurice Lucas, and Moses Malone played for the Spirits. The team was not included when the ABA and NBA leagues merged in 1976.

The Spirits' owners, Ozzie and Daniel Silna, made a very smart deal. They arranged to get a share of TV money forever. This deal earned them over $250 million before the NBA bought them out for $500 million in 2014.

The St. Louis Blues: Hockey Home

Ticket from the 1970 NHL All-Star Game at the Arena

A game between the Blues and the Calgary Flames in 1980, when the arena was called The Checkerdome

When the St. Louis Blues hockey team started playing in 1967, the Arena needed a lot of work. The Blues' owner, Sid Salomon Jr., bought the Arena. He spent millions of dollars to fix it up. He also added about 3,000 seats.

In 1977, the company Ralston Purina bought the Arena and the Blues. They renamed the building the Checkerdome after their checkerboard logo. By 1983, Ralston Purina wanted to sell the team and the Arena. The team was almost moved to Canada. But a businessman named Harry Ornest bought them. He quickly changed the Arena's name back to its original one.

The Blues moved to a new arena in 1994. The very last event at the St. Louis Arena was a concert by Christian artist Carman Licciardello.

Why the Arena Closed

The St. Louis Arena sat empty for almost five years after the Blues left. This was because of a special agreement. A local business group wanted to build a new arena downtown. They made sure the St. Louis Arena could not host any events that would compete with the new building.

The city of St. Louis still had to pay for the Arena's insurance. But it couldn't make any money from it. So, the building just sat there. Finally, it was decided to tear it down.

What's There Now?

The land where the St. Louis Arena once stood is now a business and living area called The Highlands.

It includes:

• Apartment buildings with cool loft-style homes.
• A Hampton Inn hotel, a brew pub, and a coffee shop.
• Offices for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and a yoga studio.
• An office building at 1001 Highlands Plaza Drive West. This building is home to several radio stations like KSLZ and KLOU. There's also a grassy area with sidewalks where the Arena used to be.

Teams That Played Here

Many sports teams called the St. Louis Arena their home:

• St. Louis Flyers (hockey) from 1929–1953
• St. Louis Eagles (hockey) from 1934–1935
• Chicago Black Hawks (hockey) occasionally from 1953–1959
• St. Louis Braves (hockey) from 1963–1967
• St. Louis Blues (hockey) from 1967–1994
• St. Louis Hawks (basketball) occasionally from 1955–1968
• St. Louis Stars (soccer) in 1971 and 1974
• Spirits of St. Louis (basketball) from 1974–1976
• St. Louis Steamers (indoor soccer) from 1979–1988
• St. Louis Storm (indoor soccer) from 1989–1992
• St. Louis Ambush (indoor soccer) from 1992–1994
• Saint Louis University basketball team from 1968–1971, 1975–1976, 1978–1982, and 1991–1994
• Saint Louis University hockey team from 1970–1979
• St. Louis Vipers (roller hockey) from 1993–1994

Big Concerts at the Arena

Many famous musicians performed at the St. Louis Arena:

• Led Zeppelin played a sold-out show on April 15, 1977.
• Grateful Dead performed on May 15, 1977.
• Ted Nugent and Sammy Hagar had a concert on December 6, 1978. A big ice storm hit St. Louis that night!
• The Bee Gees performed on August 1, 1979.
• Fleetwood Mac played two sold-out shows on November 5 and 6, 1979.
• The Police performed on July 24, 1983, with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts opening.
• Pink Floyd performed on November 15 and 16, 1987.
• Michael Jackson performed a sold-out show for 36,000 people on March 13, 1988.
• Van Halen performed on November 8 and 9, 1988.
• ZZ Top performed on November 7 and 8, 1990.
• Metallica performed on November 24, 1991.

See also

In Spanish: St. Louis Arena para niños