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Charlotte Coliseum
Home of the Charlotte Bobcats
Nestled in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina, fans have enjoyed the Charlotte Coliseum for many years. Construction began, under the architectural expertise of Odell Associates, in 1986 with the $52 million venue opening just two years later. At the time of it's creation, the Charlotte Coliseum was a state of the art, and very modern, facility complete with a large video scoreboard and luxury boxes. Row after row of seats adorned the arena for sporting events, as well as concerts.
The Charlotte Hornets, who called this facility home for years, played their first NBA game here at the Coliseum in November 1988. At the time, the Charlotte Coliseum was the largest in the NBA league due to the fact that it could accommodate up to 24,000 fans. In 2002, the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans. Since that time, the venue has continued to host the WNBA's Charlotte Sting and the NCAA Charlotte 49ers. After the Hornets left, however, many wondered if the NBA would ever return to Charlotte. In 2004, the fans got their wish as the Charlotte Bobcats became the NBA's newest expansion team. This new team played at the Coliseum through 2005 while the Charlotte Arena was being constructed.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority manages Charlotte's public-owned event facilities, which attract nearly 3 million fans each year. Spectators travel from far and near to see professional sporting events, entertainment and various trade shows and conventions. Unfortunately for the city of Charlotte, the Coliseum is now closed and will never again host another event. It's anticipated that the property will eventually be sold and possibly even demolished.
The Charlotte Coliseum was a multi-functional sports and entertainment venue that hosted a variety of events each year. From basketball to concerts to professional wrestling, fans packed the house with their home-made signs and their very best cheers. Ultimately, however, it wasn't enough to keep the Coliseum open and operating. In October 2005, the Charlotte Coliseum hosted it's final NBA game and is now completely closed to any event. There will be no more competitions or concerts held here as the lights are dark now but, in the mind of every fan who has ever attended an event at the Charlotte Coliseum, the memories will remain bright for many years to come. After 17 years of service, the Coliseum has closed it's doors. But, in the hearts of fans, it will never be forgotten.
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