Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, Iowa) facts for kids
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The Well
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| Address | 730 3rd Street |
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| Location | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Coordinates | 41°35′33.6″N 93°37′16.1″W / 41.592667°N 93.621139°W |
| Owner | Polk County |
| Operator | Spectra Venue Management |
| Capacity | 16,980 (center stage concerts) 16,285 (end stage concerts) 16,110 (basketball) 15,181 (hockey) 15,181 (football) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 18, 2002 |
| Opened | July 12, 2005 |
| Construction cost | $117 million ($175 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport Renaissance Design Group Brooks Borg Skiles |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti |
| Services engineer | FSC, Inc. |
| General contractor | Weitz/Turner |
| Tenants | |
| Iowa Stars/Chops (AHL) (2005–2009) Iowa Wolves (NBA G League) (2007–present) Iowa Barnstormers (IFL) (2008–present) Iowa Wild (AHL) (2013–present) Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) (2020–2021) |
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| Website | |
| http://www.iowaeventscenter.com | |
Wells Fargo Arena is a big building in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games and concerts. It's part of the Iowa Events Center.
This arena first opened on July 12, 2005. It cost about $117 million to build. Wells Fargo Arena took the place of an older building called Veterans Memorial Auditorium. It became the main spot in Des Moines for big events.
The arena can hold many people. For hockey and football games, it seats 15,181 fans. For basketball games, it can hold 16,110 people. For concerts, up to 16,980 people can watch. There's also a restaurant inside called The Fort. From there, you can see the Des Moines River and the Iowa State Capitol. The restaurant opened on October 6, 2005.
Wells Fargo Arena is also connected to other parts of the Iowa Events Center. You can even walk to downtown Des Moines using the city's Skywalk system.
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What Happens at the Arena?
The very first event at Wells Fargo Arena was a show called Tony Hawk's Boom-Boom Huck Jam on July 1, 2005. The first concert was on July 18, 2005, with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers.
The arena is home to several sports teams. These include the Iowa Wolves, a basketball team in the NBA G League. It's also home to the Iowa Barnstormers, an indoor football team. The Iowa Wild, a hockey team in the American Hockey League, also play here.
From 2005 to 2009, a hockey team called the Iowa Chops played at the arena. Wells Fargo Arena also hosted the first game of the new Arena Football League on April 2, 2010. This game was between the Barnstormers and the Chicago Rush. It was shown on TV across the country.
The arena has hosted many college sports events. It held games for the 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. It also hosted the 2012 women's tournament and the NCAA Wrestling Team Championship in 2013.
Since 2006, the arena has hosted state high school wrestling and basketball tournaments. It also hosts the Big Four Classic. This is a special basketball event with four college teams from Iowa.
In 2011, the arena hosted the NBA D-League Finals. The Iowa Energy team won their first championship on their home court. They also set a record for attendance with 14,036 fans at one game.
The arena has hosted the Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament in 2016 and 2019. It is set to host it again in 2023.
In 2020, another hockey team, the Des Moines Buccaneers, played at the arena for a short time. Their usual home arena was damaged. They moved back to their own arena in January 2021.
Teams That Play Here
Current Teams
- Iowa Wild: This is a hockey team in the AHL. They are connected to the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
- Iowa Wolves: This is a basketball team in the NBA G League. They are connected to the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves.
- Iowa Barnstormers: This is an indoor football team in the IFL.
Former Teams
- Iowa Stars: This hockey team played from 2005 to 2008 as the Iowa Stars. They were connected to the NHL's Dallas Stars. In 2008–09, they were called the Iowa Chops and were connected to the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.
Fun Events Held Here
Wells Fargo Arena has hosted many exciting concerts and shows. Here are some of them:
- Slipknot: A band from Des Moines, they played here in 2009 and 2016.
- Tony Hawk's Boom Boom Huck Jam: A cool skateboarding and BMX show in 2005.
- Paul McCartney: The famous singer played here in 2005 and 2017.
- Garth Brooks: This country music star had 6 sold-out shows in 2016.
- WWE Raw & Smackdown Live!: Popular wrestling shows.
- The Eagles: The famous band played in 2018.
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: They performed in 2016.
- Foo Fighters: This rock band played in November 2017.
- Drake: The popular rapper performed in 2016.
- The Chainsmokers: This music duo played in 2017.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers: This rock band performed in 2017.
- Taylor Swift: She has played at the arena many times, including in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015.
- Cardi B: The rapper performed in 2019.
| Events and Tenants | ||
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| Preceded by Toyota Center (Houston) |
Home of the Iowa Wild 2013 – present |
Succeeded by current |
