Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon) facts for kids
Exterior view of the arena (c.2013)
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| Former names | Memorial Coliseum (1960–2011) |
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| Address | 300 N Ramsay Way Portland, Oregon |
| Location | Lloyd District |
| Coordinates | ACoordinates: Longitude could not be parsed as a number: type:landmark Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function |
| Owner | City of Portland |
| Operator | RCM |
| Capacity | 12,888 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 4, 1959 |
| Opened | November 3, 1960 |
| Construction cost | $8 million ($80.3 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Structural engineer | Moffat, Nichol and Taylor |
| General contractor | Hoffman Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Portland Buckaroos (WHL) (1960–1975) Portland Pilots (WCAC) (1960–1984) Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) (1970–1995) Portland Winterhawks (WHL) (1976–present) Portland Timbers (NASL) (1979–1982) Portland Pride (CISL) (1993–1997) Portland Power (ABL) (1996–1998) Portland Prowlers (IPFL) (2000) |
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Memorial Coliseum
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| Area | approx. 7.24 acres (2.93 ha) |
| Built | 1960 |
| Architectural style | International style |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000707 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 2009 |
The Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a famous indoor arena in Portland, Oregon. It's located in the oldest part of the Rose Quarter area. This arena is currently the home of the Portland Winterhawks, a major junior ice hockey team. It was also the first home for the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team. The building is special because of its design and history. It's even listed on the National Register of Historic Places!
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Teams and Sports at the Coliseum
The Memorial Coliseum has been home to many sports teams over the years. It hosted the Portland Buckaroos hockey team. It was also the place where the NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four happened in 1965. In that tournament, UCLA won one of its many championships.
Portland Trail Blazers' Original Home
When the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team started in 1970, the Memorial Coliseum became their home court. It could hold about 12,666 fans for basketball games. The Blazers played in three NBA Finals here. They won their championship in 1977 at the Coliseum. They were undefeated at home during the 1977 playoffs.
In 1974, Gerald Ford became the first U.S. president to watch an NBA game. He saw the Trail Blazers win against the Buffalo Braves. The Blazers moved to the nearby Moda Center in 1995.
To celebrate their history, the Blazers have played special pre-season games at the Coliseum. They played the Phoenix Suns in 2009 and the Denver Nuggets in 2019. These games were a tribute to their first home.
Portland Winterhawks' Home Ice
The building is now the main home for the Portland Winterhawks hockey team. They share their game schedule with the Moda Center next door. In 2007, new replay screens were added to the scoreboard for the Winterhawks. Other improvements like a new area for fans and general repairs were also made.
Other Sports and Events
The Coliseum has hosted many other events too. The original Portland Timbers soccer team played indoor games here. The Portland Power women's basketball team also played in the Coliseum. It's a popular spot for high school sports. It hosts the Oregon High School Hockey League games. It also hosts the OSAA High School Dance and Drill team State Championships every March.
Big Events at the Coliseum
The Memorial Coliseum was built with large doors. These doors are perfect for the floats of the Portland Rose Festival's Grand Floral Parade. The parade starts at the Coliseum. Guests can watch the floats cross the arena floor from inside. The Rose Festival Queen's coronation has also been held here since 1961.
Many famous musicians have performed at the Coliseum:
- On August 22, 1965, The Beatles played two shows to 20,000 screaming fans.
- Led Zeppelin performed here multiple times in 1969, 1970, and 1972.
- Elvis Presley had concerts in 1970 and 1973.
- The Bee Gees performed two sold-out concerts in 1979.
Political events have also taken place here. In 2000, a rally for presidential candidate Ralph Nader sold 10,500 tickets. President Barack Obama spoke at the Coliseum in 2008.
Dew Tour Extreme Sports
Since 2005, Portland has hosted the Dew Tour, a big extreme sports event. The Memorial Coliseum has been a key venue for this. It hosted events like BMX and Skateboard competitions. Portland is the only city that has hosted the Dew Tour every year since it started.
Davis Cup Tennis Final
From November 30 to December 2, 2007, the Memorial Coliseum hosted the 2007 Davis Cup Tennis final. This was a major international tennis event between the USA and Russia.
History of the Building
The Coliseum was built with $8 million approved by voters in 1954. Construction finished in 1960. It was officially opened on January 8, 1961. It was dedicated to "advancement of cultural opportunities" and to honor "veterans of all wars." The building is 100 feet tall. It covers about 3.1 acres of land. People sometimes call it "The Glass Palace" because of its design. The famous architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed it.
The building has a modern look with gray glass and aluminum walls. These walls surround a concrete seating area. Four large concrete pillars support the steel roof, so there are no columns inside. The glass walls offer great views of the city. Black curtains can close in 90 seconds to block sunlight. When it opened, it was the largest building of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.
The war memorial part of the Coliseum has two black granite walls. These walls are below ground level near the main entrance. The names of fallen soldiers are written in gold paint. The memorial honors those who gave their lives for their country.
In 2009, this glass and concrete building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011, the Portland City Council changed its name to Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This was to better honor its purpose as a memorial to war veterans.
The seating capacity for basketball games has changed a little over time:
| Years | Capacity |
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| 1960–1988 |
12,666
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| 1988–1991 |
12,884
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| 1991–present |
12,888
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In 2018, artist Avantika Bawa had an art show about the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Her drawings and prints were shown at the Portland Art Museum.
What's Next for the Coliseum?
There were ideas to tear down the Memorial Coliseum. Some wanted to build a new baseball park for the Portland Beavers team. But many people, including veterans and history experts, did not want this. They worked to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This helped protect it. The idea to demolish the Coliseum was stopped in 2009.
Other ideas for the area include turning it into an entertainment spot or a recreation center. Another plan is to update and repair the building. In 2011, it was announced that the Coliseum would get a $30 million renovation. This project was completed in 2012.
Images for kids
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Exterior view of the arena (c.2013)
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The Moda Center (left) replaced the Coliseum as the home of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1995.
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The interior during the Davis Cup in 2007
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Northeast side and entrance in 2013
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Southwest façade, viewed from across the Willamette River
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World War II Memorial, 2020
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Korean War Memorial, 2020
See also
In Spanish: Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland) para niños
