Tucson Convention Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tucson Convention Center |
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Tucson Arena at the Tucson Convention Center
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| Location | Downtown Tucson |
| Operator | SMG |
| Renovated | 1987, 2014 |
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Former names
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Tucson Community Center (1971-2002) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 1,200 (Grand Ballroom) |
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Theatre seating
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8,962 (Tucson Arena) 2,289 (Tucson Music Hall) 551 (Leo Rich Theater) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 205,000 sq ft (19,000 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 113,940 sq ft (10,585 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 10,640 sq ft (988 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 20,164 sq ft (1,873.3 m2) |
| Public transit access |  Tucson Sun Linkat Granada/Cushing |
The Tucson Convention Center is a huge building in downtown Tucson, Arizona. It's a place where many different events happen. It used to be called the Tucson Community Center.
This big complex was built in 1971. It has a large indoor arena for sports and concerts. There are also two performing arts venues for shows. Plus, it has a lot of space for meetings and big gatherings. In 2015, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
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Explore the Performance Venues
The Tucson Convention Center has several cool places for shows and events.
Tucson Music Hall
The Tucson Music Hall has 2,289 seats. It's a popular spot for big concerts. You can also watch opera performances here.
Leo Rich Theater
The Leo Rich Theater is a smaller, more cozy venue. It has 511 seats. This theater is perfect for more personal and intimate shows.
Tucson Arena
The Tucson Arena is the biggest venue. It can hold up to 8,962 people! It's used for many exciting events. For hockey games, it can seat about 6,791 fans.
University of Arizona Hockey
The University of Arizona Wildcats club hockey team plays their games at Tucson Arena. Even though they are linked to the college, the team gets no money directly from the school. They are part of the Division 1 American Collegiate Hockey Association.
For 27 years, Leo Golembiewski was their head coach. He led the team to 21 national tournaments in a row. They even made it to the semi-finals eight times and won one national championship. Now, Chad Berman is the team's coach.
Tucson Roadrunners Hockey
Since the fall of 2016, the Tucson Arena has been home to the Tucson Roadrunners. This is a professional hockey team that plays in the American Hockey League.
Tucson Sugar Skulls Football
On August 23, 2018, a new indoor football team joined the Indoor Football League. This team is called the Tucson Sugar Skulls. They started playing their games at the arena in 2019.
Exciting Events and Shows
The Tucson Convention Center has hosted many different types of events.
Famous Shows and Concerts
One of the most well-known events is the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. This huge show brings people from all over the world. The arena has also hosted the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Many famous concerts have taken place here. You can also see exciting monster truck shows. The arena has even been featured on live WWE television shows like Raw, SmackDown, and ECW.
In 1999, a special wrestling match happened here. It was between The Rock and Mankind for the WWF Championship. This match was shown during halftime of Super Bowl XXXIII.
Elvis Presley's Performances
The legendary singer Elvis Presley performed a concert at the Tucson Arena on November 9, 1972. He returned to play another show on June 1, 1976.
Modern Upgrades and Management
In 2014, the Tucson Convention Center got a big makeover. This renovation cost $22 million. It was paid for by the Rio Nuevo downtown redevelopment group and the City of Tucson.
The upgrades included new bathrooms, better lighting, and comfy new seats. They also put in a new sound system, a modern kitchen, and a cool video scoreboard. To celebrate the remodeled arena, Mike Love's Beach Boys played a concert there on January 4, 2015.
Now, the convention center is managed by SMG.
