U.S. Cellular Arena
(formerly the Milwaukee Arena
, MECCA Arena
and Wisconsin Center Arena
) is an indoor arena located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Arena, which seats as many as 12,700 people and offers 41,000 feet of floor space, is part of a larger downtown campus that includes the Milwaukee Theatre and Midwest Airlines Center. The Arena was part of the MECCA Complex
(The M
ilwaukee E
xposition C
onvention C
enter and A
rena) 1974-1995.
|
US CELLULAR ARENA TICKETS
|
History
It opened in 1950 and was one of the first to accommodate the needs of broadcast
television. It was folded into the MECCA complex when it opened in 1974. It is also known for its former unique basketball court painted by
Robert Indiana in 1978, with large rainbow 'M's taking up both half-courts representing Milwaukee.
It was home to the
Milwaukee Bucks of the
NBA from 1968-1988, and hosted the 1977
NBA All-Star Game before an audience of 10,938. The venue was also home to
Marquette University's men's basketball team along with the
International Hockey League Milwaukee Admirals. These teams all moved to the
Bradley Center upon the newer arena's opening in 1988.
In 1994 the Wisconsin Center District (WCD), a state organization, was created in order to fund the
Midwest Airlines Center, and, in 1995 the MECCA complex was folded into this, including the Arena (the Bradley Center is owned by a separate authority). Following a major overhaul in 1998, the arena is now home to the
Milwaukee Panthers' men's college basketball team and the
Milwaukee Wave of the
Major Indoor Soccer League, and is the Milwaukee venue for
Disney on Ice. It has also hosted professional wrestling events, including
WCW SuperBrawl II in 1992,
WWF King of the Ring 1996,
WCW Clash of the Champions in 1997,
WWF Over the Edge in 1998 and
WCW Mayhem in 2000. It was at the forementioned King Of The Ring card where
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin first uttered his now-famous "Austin 3:16"
catchphrase.
The WCD added the Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame alongside the U.S. Cellular Arena in 2001. At the end of this public promenade is a Wisconsin Historical Marker noting the location where
Christopher Sholes invented the first practical
typewriter, featuring the
QWERTY keyboard layout.
As the MECCA, the building hosted the 1984
NCAA Mideast first and second round games. The U.S. Cellular Arena has hosted all or part of every
Horizon League men's basketball conference tournament since 2003.
In
2008 it will be home to the
Milwaukee Bonecrushers of the
Continental Indoor Football League.
Notable music performances
- The Beatles, 1964
- Led Zeppelin (twice), 1970 & 1973
- Elvis Presley (twice), 1971 & 1977
- Frank Sinatra, 1982
- The Who, 1982
- Grateful Dead, April 15 and April 16, 1989
- Nirvana, October 26, 1993
See also
- U.S. Cellular Field - home of the Chicago White Sox
- U.S. Cellular Coliseum - an indoor sports arena in Bloomington, Illinois
- U.S. Cellular Center - an indoor sports arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa