Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter facts for kids
Rink 2 at Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter
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| Former names | Tam-O-Shanter Sports Complex |
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| 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:
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| Other sports facilities | Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center |
| Operator | Sylvania Joint Area Recreational District |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1972 |
| Renovated |
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| Expanded |
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| Tenants | |
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| Website | |
| https://sylvaniatamoshanter.com/ | |
The Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter and the Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center are a large place in Sylvania, Ohio. It's a combined center for sports and big events. It first opened in 1972 with just one ice rink. Over the years, it grew bigger in 1993 and 2001. Today, the Sylvania Joint Area Recreational District manages this popular spot.
The Tam-O-Shanter has two ice rinks where people can skate or play ice hockey. There are also two restaurants and a shop to buy ice skating gear. A nearby building has a special center for older adults. The Sports and Exhibition Center is a huge indoor space, about 36,000 square feet. It's used for many things like conventions, trade shows, and different sporting events.
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History of Tam-O-Shanter
How it Started and Became a City Spot
In December 1972, a private company built the first ice rink. It was called Tam-O-Shanter Sports. A few years later, in January 1980, the city of Sylvania thought about buying it. The head of the local hockey league, John Crandall, suggested it. He believed the city could buy it for a good price.
By July 1980, a local bank owned the property. Then, in August 1980, the city decided to lease the center for two years. A group of nine volunteers helped run it. After some updates, the center had a grand reopening in December that year. The mayor, James E. Seney, was there for the celebration.
In August 1982, the city officially bought the land from the bank. It was about four acres. Later, in June 1993, work began on a big expansion. They added a second ice rink and a new lobby to connect the old and new parts of the building.
The Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center
In June 2000, city leaders hired architects to plan even more additions. They wanted a third "dry rink" that could be used for indoor soccer, basketball, or other sports. They also planned a new building for a senior center. The city raised money to build a large fieldhouse next to the main building. The senior center would be a separate new building.
All these new parts were finished in 2001. The big expansion was named the Sylvania Sports and Exhibition Center at Tam-O-Shanter. A newspaper, The Blade, reported in 2002 that many people were using the new facilities. Almost 1,000 children and over 125 adults regularly enjoyed different activities there.
In September 2007, the Exhibition Center fieldhouse and the ice rinks got some upgrades. They added new seats, a new ceiling to save energy, and a large area of artificial turf for sports.
Children's Wonderland Exhibit
Children's Wonderland is a special Christmas-themed show. It has been a holiday tradition for over 61 years! It first opened on December 6, 1963, at the Lucas County Recreation Center. When you walk through it, you see many Christmas displays. Many of these displays are original and have simple moving figures called animatronics.
In December 2010, the Sylvania Recreation District bought the exhibit. Since then, it has been shown every year at Sylvania Tam-O-Shanter. You can find it in the Exhibition Center fieldhouse during the holiday season. The exhibit was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
