Denver Arena Auditorium

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Auditorium Arena
Location 14th and Arapahoe Streets
Denver, Colorado 80204
Broke ground 1908
Opened July 7, 1908
Owner City and County of Denver
Operator City and County of Denver
Surface Multi-Surface
Architect Robert Willison
Tenants Denver Nuggets (NBL/NBA) (1948-1950)
Denver Nuggets (ABA) (1967-1975)
Capacity 12,500 (original), 6,841 (renovated)

Denver Auditorium Arena was an indoor arena located at the corner of 13th and Champa Streets in Denver, Colorado. It was constructed as the Denver Municipal Auditorium in 1908 during the administration of Denver Mayor Robert W. Speer. The building was opened on July 7, 1908, and was the site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention.

With a capacity of 12,500, the building was at the time of its opening the second largest in America to Madison Square Garden.[1] Initially, the venue was configured and equipped to hold numerous kinds of events including theater, opera, conventions, sporting events, exhibitions, concerts, and more. Renovationswere made to the building in the 1940s, and in 1953 the the southern half of the building was converted into the Auditorium Arena, a pure sporting venue with seating capacity of 6,841. It hosted the ABA's Denver Rockets, later the Denver Nuggets, from 1967 until they left for McNichols Sports Arena in 1975.

On December 26, 1968, the rock group Led Zeppelin played their first concert in the United States at the Auditorium Arena.[1]

The building was demolished in 1990 and was remodeled into the Temple Hoyne Buell Theater.

[edit] References

Preceded by
First arena
Home of the
Denver Nuggets (original)

1948 – 1950
Succeeded by
Defunct
Preceded by
None
Home of the
Denver Rockets/Denver Nuggets

1967 – 1975
Succeeded by
McNichols Sports Arena