International Amphitheatre
Encyclopedia
The International Amphitheatre was an indoor arena, located in Chicago
, Illinois
, between 1934 and 1999. It was located on the west side of Halsted Street
, at 42nd Street, on the city's south side, adjacent to the Union Stock Yards
.
The arena was built for $1.5 million, by the stock yard company, principally to host the International Livestock Exhibition. The arena replaced Dexter Park
, a horse-racing track that had stood on the site for over 50 years prior to its destruction by fire in May 1934. The completion of the Amphitheater ushered in an era where Chicago reigned as a convention capital. In an era before air conditioning and space for the press and broadcast media were commonplace, the International Amphitheater was among the first arenas to be equipped with these innovations.
The arena, which seated 9,000, was the first home of the Chicago Packers
of the NBA
during 1961-62
, before changing their name to the Chicago Zephyrs
and moving to the Chicago Coliseum
for their second season. It was also the home of the Chicago Bulls
during their inaugural season of 1966-67
; they also played only one game in the Chicago Coliseum, a playoff game in their first season, as no other arena was available for a game versus the St. Louis Hawks
. Afterwards, the Bulls then moved permanently to Chicago Stadium, not the Coliseum.
The Amphitheatre was also the primary home of the Chicago Cougars
of the WHA
from 1972
-1975
. It was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Cougars, but the permanent solution, the Rosemont Horizon
, was not completed until 1980, five years after the team folded and a year after the WHA had gone out of business.
The Amphitheatre hosted several national political conventions:
The 1968 convention was one of the most tumultuous political conventions in American history, marred by rioting stemming from anti-war
protests.
Prior to that, the Amphitheatre was also noted for being the site of one of Elvis Presley
's most notable concerts, in 1957, with the singer wearing his now legendary gold lame suit for the first time.
On September 5, 1964 and August 12, 1966, The Beatles
performed at the Amphitheatre.
In October 1978, English rock group UFO
recorded Strangers In The Night
at the International Amphitheatre.
The Stock Yards closed in 1971, but the Amphitheatre stayed open, hosting rock concerts, college basketball and IHSA
playoff games, circuses, religious gatherings, and other events. The shift of many conventions and trade shows to the more modern and more conveniently-located lakefront McCormick Place
convention center during the Sixties and Seventies began the International Amphitheater's decline, and the Amphitheater's business dried up as new convention centers and concert arenas opened in the suburbs.
In December 1981, Joe Frazier
had his final boxing match at the Amphitheatre against Floyd Cummings
, which resulted in a draw.
Sold in 1983 for a mere $250,000, the sprawling Amphitheater became difficult to maintain, and proved unable to attract enough large events to pay for its own upkeep. It was eventually sold to the city of Chicago, which had no more success at attracting events than its previous owner. In August 1999, demolition of the International Amphitheater began. An Aramark
Uniform Services plant is located on the site once occupied by the Amphitheatre.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, between 1934 and 1999. It was located on the west side of Halsted Street
Halsted Street
Halsted Street is a major north-south street in the American city of Chicago, Illinois.-Location:In Chicago's grid system, Halsted street marks 800 West, one mile west of State Street, from Grace Street in Lakeview south to the city limits at the Little Calumet River in West Pullman...
, at 42nd Street, on the city's south side, adjacent to the Union Stock Yards
Union Stock Yards
The Union Stock Yard & Transit Co., or The Yards, was the meat packing district in Chicago for over a century starting in 1865. The district was operated by a group of railroad companies that acquired swampland, and turned it to a centralized processing area...
.
The arena was built for $1.5 million, by the stock yard company, principally to host the International Livestock Exhibition. The arena replaced Dexter Park
Dexter Park (Chicago)
Dexter Park was a horse race track in Chicago, Illinois built in the years following the Civil War. It was named for a gelding and trotter who had set world records for the mile...
, a horse-racing track that had stood on the site for over 50 years prior to its destruction by fire in May 1934. The completion of the Amphitheater ushered in an era where Chicago reigned as a convention capital. In an era before air conditioning and space for the press and broadcast media were commonplace, the International Amphitheater was among the first arenas to be equipped with these innovations.
The arena, which seated 9,000, was the first home of the Chicago Packers
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
during 1961-62
1961-62 NBA season
The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 4th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, before changing their name to the Chicago Zephyrs
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
and moving to the Chicago Coliseum
Chicago Coliseum
The Chicago Coliseum was the name of a succession of three large indoor arenas in Chicago, Illinois from the 1860s to 1982 that each served as a sports venue, convention center, and exhibition hall over the course of their respective histories. The first Coliseum briefly made an appearance in the...
for their second season. It was also the home of the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
during their inaugural season of 1966-67
1966-67 NBA season
The 1966–67 NBA Season was the 21st season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship, beating the San Francisco Warriors 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals, ending the Boston Celtics' record title run at 8.- Notable occurrences :*...
; they also played only one game in the Chicago Coliseum, a playoff game in their first season, as no other arena was available for a game versus the St. Louis Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
. Afterwards, the Bulls then moved permanently to Chicago Stadium, not the Coliseum.
The Amphitheatre was also the primary home of the Chicago Cougars
Chicago Cougars
The Chicago Cougars were an original franchise in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1975. The Cougars played their home games in the dilapidated International Amphitheatre. During the 1974 Avco Cup Finals against Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros, the team's two home games were played at...
of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
from 1972
1972 in sports
1972 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
-1975
1975 in sports
1975 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Gustav Thöni, Italy** Women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria-American football:...
. It was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Cougars, but the permanent solution, the Rosemont Horizon
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Rosemont, Illinois.It is home to the Chicago Rush, of the Arena Football League, DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, and the Chicago Sky, of the WNBA.It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and...
, was not completed until 1980, five years after the team folded and a year after the WHA had gone out of business.
The Amphitheatre hosted several national political conventions:
- 1952 Republican National Convention1952 Republican National ConventionThe 1952 Republican National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois from July 7 to July 11, 1952 and nominated the popular general and war hero Dwight D...
- 1952 Democratic National Convention1952 Democratic National ConventionThe 1952 Democratic National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois from July 21 to July 26, 1952, which was the same arena the Republicans had gathered in a few weeks earlier for their national convention...
- 1956 Democratic National Convention1956 Democratic National ConventionThe 1956 National Convention of the Democratic Party nominated former Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois for President and Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee for Vice President. It was held in the International Amphitheatre on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois August 13–17 1956. Unsuccessful...
- 1960 Republican National Convention1960 Republican National ConventionThe 1960 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in Chicago, Illinois, from July 25 to July 28, 1960, at the International Amphitheatre....
- 1968 Democratic National Convention1968 Democratic National ConventionThe 1968 Democratic National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968. Because Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek a second term, the purpose of the convention was to...
The 1968 convention was one of the most tumultuous political conventions in American history, marred by rioting stemming from anti-war
Opposition to the Vietnam War
The movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
protests.
Prior to that, the Amphitheatre was also noted for being the site of one of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's most notable concerts, in 1957, with the singer wearing his now legendary gold lame suit for the first time.
On September 5, 1964 and August 12, 1966, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
performed at the Amphitheatre.
In October 1978, English rock group UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
recorded Strangers In The Night
Strangers in the Night (UFO album)
Strangers in the Night with original subtitle A Double Live Album is a live album by the British rock band UFO, first released in 1979 on the Chrysalis label....
at the International Amphitheatre.
The Stock Yards closed in 1971, but the Amphitheatre stayed open, hosting rock concerts, college basketball and IHSA
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
playoff games, circuses, religious gatherings, and other events. The shift of many conventions and trade shows to the more modern and more conveniently-located lakefront McCormick Place
McCormick Place
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the United States. It is made up of four interconnected buildings sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about 4 km south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. McCormick Place hosts numerous trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show,...
convention center during the Sixties and Seventies began the International Amphitheater's decline, and the Amphitheater's business dried up as new convention centers and concert arenas opened in the suburbs.
In December 1981, Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
had his final boxing match at the Amphitheatre against Floyd Cummings
Floyd Cummings
Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings is a retired American heavyweight boxer.Cummings served 12 years in prison for murder in the Stateville Correctional Center, Illinois, and upon his release started boxing professionally, making his debut in March 1979 at the age of 29.He was a fringe contender in the...
, which resulted in a draw.
Sold in 1983 for a mere $250,000, the sprawling Amphitheater became difficult to maintain, and proved unable to attract enough large events to pay for its own upkeep. It was eventually sold to the city of Chicago, which had no more success at attracting events than its previous owner. In August 1999, demolition of the International Amphitheater began. An Aramark
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
Uniform Services plant is located on the site once occupied by the Amphitheatre.