Canton Memorial Civic Center
Encyclopedia
The Canton Memorial Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena
in Canton, Ohio
, USA. It was built in 1951. It was the home to the Canton Legends
arena football
team and Canton Invaders
indoor soccer
team and Ohio Aviators
of the American Basketball Association. The Canton Memorial Civic Center is owned by the City of Canton
and can hold up to 5,200 guests in the arena, and up to 600 guests in the McKinley Room.
It is large enough that it hosts several concerts (music, children and comedy) each year, and yet intimate enough that it host many private and community events such as several of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame
festival events.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it hosted many professional wrestling shows promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, including several broadcast episodes of WCW's Monday Nitro and the WWF's Monday Night Raw. On March 24, 2007, it held a "Road to WrestleMania 23
" house show
for World Wrestling Entertainment
. It also held a SmackDown! house show, on January 5, 2008 and an ECW/Smackdown house show on August 31st, 2009.
On October 27, 2008, Barack Obama
held a Closing Address Rally to a crowd of over 4,000.
The arena is now the home of the Ohio Vortex
of the Professional Arena Soccer League
and the Canton Cougars
of the Ultimate Indoor Football League
. Starting in fall 2011, it will be home to the Canton Charge
of the NBA Development League
.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, USA. It was built in 1951. It was the home to the Canton Legends
Canton Legends
The Canton Legends was a professional indoor football team based out of Canton, Ohio. They were a charter member of the American Indoor Football Association, which played their first season under the name Atlantic Indoor Football League, and their second season as the American Indoor Football...
arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
team and Canton Invaders
Canton Invaders
The Canton Invaders was an indoor soccer club based in Canton, Ohio that competed in the National Professional Soccer League.After the 1995/96 season, the team became the Columbus Invaders.- Canton Invaders :...
indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
team and Ohio Aviators
Ohio Aviators
The Ohio Aviators are an inactive team in the American Basketball Association based in Canton, Ohio. The team finished 3-13 in their lone season , and lost in the first round of the ABA playoffs.-"Aim High, Fly High!":...
of the American Basketball Association. The Canton Memorial Civic Center is owned by the City of Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and can hold up to 5,200 guests in the arena, and up to 600 guests in the McKinley Room.
It is large enough that it hosts several concerts (music, children and comedy) each year, and yet intimate enough that it host many private and community events such as several of the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
festival events.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it hosted many professional wrestling shows promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance and the World Wrestling Federation, including several broadcast episodes of WCW's Monday Nitro and the WWF's Monday Night Raw. On March 24, 2007, it held a "Road to WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
" house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
for World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
. It also held a SmackDown! house show, on January 5, 2008 and an ECW/Smackdown house show on August 31st, 2009.
On October 27, 2008, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
held a Closing Address Rally to a crowd of over 4,000.
The arena is now the home of the Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex
Ohio Vortex is a professional indoor soccer team based in Canton, Ohio. They joined the Professional Arena Soccer League in 2009. The Ohio Vortex is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of their revenue to local charities. The team was founded by former Canton Invaders player Nick Bogdan...
of the Professional Arena Soccer League
Professional Arena Soccer League
The Professional Arena Soccer League is an North American indoor soccer league recognized by FIFRA ....
and the Canton Cougars
Canton Cougars
The Canton Cougars are a professional indoor football team which began play in the Ultimate Indoor Football League for its inaugural 2011 season...
of the Ultimate Indoor Football League
Ultimate Indoor Football League
The Ultimate Indoor Football League is a regional professional indoor football league that began its inaugural season on February 18, 2011.-History:...
. Starting in fall 2011, it will be home to the Canton Charge
Canton Charge
The Canton Charge is an NBA Development League minor league basketball team based in Canton, Ohio, United States. The Charge's NBA affiliate is the Cleveland Cavaliers, which also owns the team...
of the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
.