Portland Memorial Coliseum History

By David Green

The Portland Memorial Coliseum sits on the Willamette River.

One of the oldest structures in Portland's Rose Quarter in Oregon, the Portland Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena that has played host to the city's professional athletic teams, national musical acts and other sporting events since opening.

History

The building opened in November 1960, and at the time was one of the largest multi-purpose arenas in the Pacific Northwest.

Famous Ties

The Memorial Coliseum was the first home of the NBA's Portland Trailblazers, until the team moved to the Rose Garden. The Memorial Coliseum also played host to the 1965 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament finals and, more recently, the 2007 Davis Cup. It is the current home of the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League.

Features

The Memorial Coliseum features 9,000 permanent seats and space for a total capacity of about 14,000 people once bleachers and chairs are added. The Coliseum is located within easy driving distance of several golf courses including the Broadmoor Golf Course and Eastmoreland Golf Course.

Appearance

The building's exterior is covered in 80,000 square feet of glass, giving the building the appearance of a sideways skyscraper.

Facts

The building was named to the National Register of Historic Places in September 2009.

Resources

GolfLink.com: Portland golf courses

About The Author

A former sports and lifestyle reporter at the "Daily Nebraskan," David Green is a writer who has covered a variety of topics for daily newspapers. He was selected by the "Los Angeles Times" to participate in the Jim Murray Sports Writing Workshop. Green holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska.

Photo Credits

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Stuart Seeger

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