Washington Avenue Armory facts for kids
The Washington Avenue Armory is a cool building in downtown Albany, New York. It's officially called the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena. This building is a multi-purpose arena, which means it can be used for many different things. It can hold up to 4,300 people for concerts and big meetings, and 3,600 people for sports games.
|
"The Armory"
|
|
 |
|
| Full name | Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena |
|---|---|
| Location | 195 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York, United States 12210 |
| Coordinates | 42°39′25″N 73°45′44″W / 42.657081°N 73.762325°W |
| Owner | Albany Basketball & Sports Corporation |
| Capacity | 3,600-4,300 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1890 |
| Opened | 1890 |
| Renovated | 1930s |
| Architect | Isaac Perry |
| Tenants | |
| Albany Patroons (CBA/USBL/TBL) (1982–1990, 2005–2009, 2018–present) New York Buzz (WTT) (2008) Albany Legends (IBL/IBA) (2010–2012) |
|
|
Washington Avenue (Tenth Battalion) Armory
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Area | 1.4 acres (0.6 ha) |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, castellated |
| MPS | Army National Guard Armories in New York State MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000077 |
| Added to NRHP | March 2, 1995 |
Contents
History of the Washington Avenue Armory
The Armory was built in 1890. It was originally made for the Tenth Battalion of the New York National Guard. A famous architect named Isaac Perry designed the building.
Early Days and Sports Events
For many years, the Armory was the main place for basketball games in Albany. Both college teams and professional minor league teams played there. It also hosted exciting boxing matches. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Armory was a popular spot for wrestling events. These Friday night shows were always completely sold out!
The Albany Patroons and Renovations
From 1982 to 1990, the Armory was the home court for the Albany Patroons. They were a basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association. When a new, bigger arena opened, the Patroons moved. The Armory was then used less often.
In 1995, the Armory was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special building with historical importance. In 2004, a company called Albany Basketball & Sports Corporation bought the Armory. They worked to fix it up and make it new again. The renovated Armory opened in September 2005.
Modern Use and Other Teams
After its renovation, the Patroons team came back to play at the Armory. Other sports teams have also called the Armory home. These include the New York Buzz tennis team in 2008.
Sometimes, unexpected things happen. In 2007, a concert had to be canceled because the roof started to have problems. But the Armory continues to be a busy place for events.
Armory Features and Management
The Armory has a large floor space, about 38,000 square feet. This is a lot of room for different events! It also has meeting rooms and two big video screens.
The Armory's website has mentioned plans to open an underground area with stores and places to eat. This would make it even more of a community hub. The current general manager of the Armory is Michael Corts.
Images for kids
-
The official logo of the Washington Avenue Armory.
