GIANT Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| GIANT Center | |
|---|---|
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| Location | 950 West Hersheypark Drive Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033 |
| Broke ground | November 8, 2000 |
| Opened | October 19, 2002 |
| Owner | Derry Township Municipal Authority |
| Operator | Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company |
| Construction cost | $65 million |
| Architect | HOK Sport + Venue + Event (Kansas City, Missouri) |
| Tenants | |
| Hershey Bears (2002-present) | |
| Capacity | |
| 12,500 for in-the-round concerts, 10,500 for hockey | |
| Dimensions | |
| 306,000 total square feet in the main arena. 100 feet from ice to ceiling 17,000 square feet floor area. 85’ x 200’ ice rink | |
The GIANT Center is a 12,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg. It is home to the Hershey Bears ice hockey team the longest-existing member club in the AHL, joining the league in 1938. Giant Center replaced the Hersheypark Arena as the Bears' home in 2002.
In addition to Bears games, the arena also hosts an annual concert series and attracts many well known acts. The GIANT Center opened its doors with a performance by Cher and has since hosted acts ranging from 50 Cent to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to Drew Carey's Comedy Tour,professional ice shows, family events, and special attractions like Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Harlem Globetrotters, Disney On Ice, Stars On Ice, and Blue Man Group. Several conventions make yearly stops here as well, notably the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show, the auction of the Antique Automobile Club of America's Fall Meet. In 2003, the GIANT Center held WWE Unforgiven.
The GIANT Center is owned by the local government, as much of the money for its construction was provided by the Commonwealth. It is operated by Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. The naming rights are owned by the GIANT Food grocery store chain based in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
[edit] External links
| Current arenas in the American Hockey League | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
| Arena at Harbor Yard | Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena | Cumberland County Civic Center | DCU Center | Dunkin' Donuts Center | GIANT Center | Hartford Civic Center | MassMutual Center | Norfolk Scope | Times Union Center | Tsongas Arena | Verizon Wireless Arena | Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza | Wachovia Spectrum | Allstate Arena | AT&T Center | Blue Cross Arena | Bradley Center | Carver Arena | Copps Coliseum | MTS Centre | Omaha Civic Auditorium | Ricoh Coliseum | Toyota Center | Van Andel Arena | War Memorial at Oncenter | Wells Fargo Arena | |
