Location Louisville, Kentucky Built by Caldwell & Drake Added to NRHP March 24, 1980 Opened 1905 Architectural style Beaux-Arts architecture Architect Brinton B. Davis | Built 1905 NRHP Reference # 80001606 Capacity 6,000 Area 7,285 m² Owner Louisville | |
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Former names Jefferson County Armory, Louisville Convention Center Address 525 W Muhammad Ali Blvd, Louisville, KY 40202, USA Similar Freedom Hall, Market Square Arena, Toledo Sports Arena, Mid‑South Coliseum, Richfield Coliseum | ||
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Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000-seat arena, in Louisville, Kentucky, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It celebrated its 100th anniversary as former city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
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History
The facility has served the city of Louisville and Jefferson County in a variety of ways during the past century, from utilization as an actual armory to American Basketball Association's Kentucky Colonels basketball games, to various wrestling events, concerts, political rallies, and Hurricane Katrina flood relief have also been staged there. More recently, WWE used the 3,000-person capacity arena as a training ground for future stars in a minor-league promotion known as Ohio Valley Wrestling, until the organization moved to the Davis Arena. WWE also staged two pay-per-view events while the venue was known as Louisville Gardens: (In Your House 6 and In Your House 17: Ground Zero). TNA Wrestling held an event at the venue in 2007. Freedom Hall replaced the small, aging facility in 1956, as a more popular venue for city events. Martin Luther King Jr. (Tuesday, August 23, 1960) and Harry Truman both spoke at the arena.
Use as basketball arena
Primary home of Louisville Cardinals men's basketball starting in 1945 when Bernard "Peck" Hickman was head coach until the 1957–58 season when they moved to Freedom Hall. They played a few more games there up until their last on November 30, 1972. The Louisville Cardinals were 153-23 all time at the armory. The Kentucky Wildcats when led by Adolph Rupp played 72 games at the armory going 61-11 there from 1937 to 1956 Included in that was games played in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament which was held at the armory from 1941 to 1952. Additionally, the Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball tournament was held there from 1949 to 1955 and again from 1964 to 1967.
The Kentucky Colonels, of the American Basketball Association, played their home games at the facility, then known as the Louisville Convention Center, from 1967 through 1970. Louie Dampier was the team's best player in the era. On November 24, 1968, Penny Ann Earley became the first female to appear in a men's professional league, playing briefly in a home game for the Colonels.
The Louisville Catbirds, of the Continental Basketball Association (1983–1985), the Louisville Shooters, of the Global Basketball Association (1991–1992) and the Kentucky Colonels, of the ABA 2000 (2004–2006), all played their home basketball games at the Louisville Gardens. The University of Louisville women's basketball team used the Gardens for six home games in the 1997–98 season. Ice hockey teams to use the Gardens as home ice include the Louisville Blades, Louisville Shooting Stars and the Louisville Rebels.
Other names
The building was also known as the Convention Center or Louisville Convention Center, mostly in the 1960s and 1970s. It was renamed Louisville Gardens in 1975 when the Commonwealth Convention Center (now called Kentucky International Convention Center) was being built.
Current status
In 2007, the Cordish Company, manager of the nearby Fourth Street Live! entertainment complex, agreed to take over operation of "The Gardens" from the Metro Louisville Government as part of a $250 million development in downtown Louisville. In 2012, Cordish was released from its obligations to the Gardens.