Macon Coliseum
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| Location | 200 Coliseum Drive Macon, Georgia 31217 |
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| Owner | City of Macon |
| Operator | City of Macon |
| Capacity | Basketball: 9,252 Hockey and Arena football: 7,182 |
| Opened | 1968 (Renovated in 1996) |
| Tenants | |
| GHSA High School Basketball Class A, AA, and AAA Championships (1968-present) Macon Steel (AIF) (2012) Macon Knights (af2) (2001-2006) Macon Whoopees (SHL) (1973-1974) Macon Whoopee (CHL) (1996-2001) Macon Whoopee (ECHL) (2001-2002) Macon Blaze (WBA) (2005) Macon Trax (ACHL/WHA2/SPHL) (2002-2005) Macon Mayhem (SPHL) (2015-present) |
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The Macon Coliseum is a multi-purpose arena and convention center in Macon, Georgia, United States. It was home to the Macon Whoopee (ECHL), Macon Whoopee (CHL) and Macon Trax ice hockey teams and also the Macon Knights arena football team until 2006. It is home to the Macon Mayhem, a minor-league hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. Seating 7,182 for hockey and arena football and up to 9,252 for concerts, it is the largest of three facilities comprising the Macon Centreplex, which also includes the adjacent Edgar H. Wilson Convention Centre and the City Auditorium, located downtown.
History
Macon Coliseum was built in 1968 as the first facility of its size and kind in the state. Mayor Ronnie Thompson was among its most influential backers. Thompson, who served from 1967-1975, blocked an appearance at the facility by the boxer Muhammad Ali because the mayor objected to Ali's Conscientious Objector status during the Vietnam War.
The Coliseum quickly became Central Georgia's premier sports, entertainment and trade show venue, with concerts by well-known performers such as Elvis Presley. Presley performed at the coliseum on April 15, 1972, afternoon show and evening show, April 24, 1975, August 31, 1976, and June 1, 1977. Many others have performed here, including Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band, KISS, Van Halen, Jethro Tull, James Brown, War, Jackson 5, Jeffrey Osborne, Earth, Wind, and Fire, The Emotions, Bar Kays, Parliament/Funkadelic, The Temptations, OJays, Chicago, Leon Russell, Aerosmith, Rick James, Prince, The Time, Vanity 6, George Jones, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams Jr., Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sarah MacLachlan, Billy Joel, Katy Perry, Elton John and many others. R.E.M. filmed part of its first concert film Tourfilm here on November 11, 1989.
World Championship Wrestling often came to the Coliseum. It was in this arena that Scott Hall came out from the audience in a May 27, 1996, episode of Monday Nitro to mark the beginning of the NWO. The World Wrestling Federation performed here as well before they became the WWE in 2002. TNA Wrestling also hosted episodes of their weekly flagship broadcast Impact Wrestling in the arena in November 2011.
The arena underwent major renovations in 1996 including the addition of the Edgar H. Wilson Convention Centre, which hosts conventions, trade shows and banquets. The Convention Centre has 30,800 square feet (2900 m²) of exhibit space, which in addition to the Coliseum's 42,207 square feet (3921 m²) gives a total of 73,007 square feet (6783 m²) of exhibit space for the complex, which also has 26,279 square feet (2441 m²) of meeting space divided into 14 meeting rooms. Three luxury suites were added in 2003 and the Coliseum's exterior redone, resulting in the addition of a giant "M" at the main entrance on the arena's facade.
External links
| Preceded by | FIBA Intercontinental Cup Final Venue 1969 |
Succeeded by Palazzo dello Sport Lino Oldrini Varese |
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