Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter facts for kids
Rink 2 at Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter
|
|
| Former names | Tam-O-Shanter Sports Complex |
|---|---|
| Location | Sylvania, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 41°41′28″N 83°42′48″W / 41.6911111°N 83.7133333°W |
| Main venue | Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter Capacity:
|
| Other sports facilities | Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center |
| Operator | Sylvania Joint Area Recreational District |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1972 |
| Renovated |
|
| Expanded |
|
| Tenants | |
|
|
| Website | |
| http://www.sylvaniatamoshanter.com | |
The Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter and the Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center are a big place in Sylvania, Ohio. It's a combination of a sports center and a place for large meetings or shows. The first part, an ice rink, was built in 1972. Over the years, it grew with new additions in 1993 and 2001. Today, the Sylvania Joint Area Recreational District runs it.
This cool complex has two ice rinks where you can skate or play ice hockey. There are also two restaurants if you get hungry, and a shop to buy ice skating gear. A building nearby even has a special center for seniors. The Sports and Exhibition Center is huge, with a 36,000 square foot fieldhouse. This space is perfect for big events like conventions, trade shows, and many different sporting events.
How Tam-O-Shanter Started
Building the First Ice Rink
The Tam-O-Shanter Sports ice rink first opened in December 1972. It was built by a private group called Tam-O-Shanter Sports, Inc. A few years later, in January 1980, the city of Sylvania started thinking about buying the rink. John Crandall, who led the Sylvania Metropolitan Area Hockey League, thought the city could get it for a good price.
In July 1980, a local bank announced that they had bought the property. Then, in August 1980, the city said they would rent the rink for two years. A group of nine volunteers would help run it. That December, the center had a big party to celebrate its new look after some updates. The mayor, James E. Seney, was there for the event.
The City Buys the Land
In August 1982, the city officially bought the four acres of land where the rink stood from the Sylvania Savings Bank. This meant the city now owned the property. In June 1993, a group called the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District started building something new. They added a second ice rink and a lobby to connect the old and new parts of the complex.
Adding the Sports and Exhibition Center
In June 2000, city leaders hired architects to plan a new "dry rink" for the Tam-O-Shanter complex. This new area could be used for indoor soccer, basketball, or other indoor sports. They also planned a new building for a senior center. The city sold special bonds to get money for the new fieldhouse.
The new buildings were finished in 2001. The big new part was named the Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center at Tam-O-Shanter. A newspaper, The Blade, reported in 2002 that almost 1,000 kids and over 125 adults were using the new facilities regularly for many fun activities.
In September 2007, the Exhibition Center fieldhouse and the ice rinks got more updates. They added new seats for watching games, a new ceiling to save energy, and 27,000 square feet of artificial turf.
Children's Wonderland Exhibit
Children's Wonderland is a special Christmas-themed show. It has been happening every year since December 6, 1963. It started at the Lucas County Recreation Center. The exhibit lets you walk through many Christmas scenes. Many of these displays are very old and have simple moving figures.
In December 2010, the Sylvania Recreation District bought the exhibit. Since then, it has been shown every year at Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter in the Exhibition Center fieldhouse. However, the exhibit was canceled for the 2020 holiday season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
