Louisville Gardens
Encyclopedia
Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000 seat arena
, in Louisville, Kentucky
, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location. 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 at Louisville Gardens: (In Your House 6
and In Your House 17: Ground Zero
). TNA Wrestling held an event at the venue in 2008. Freedom Hall
replaced the small, aging facility in 1956, as a more popular venue for city events.
The Southeastern Conference
men's basketball tournament was held at the Jefferson County Armory from 1941-1952. Additionally, the Ohio Valley Conference
men's basketball tournament was held there from 1949–1955 and again from 1964-1967. The Kentucky Colonels
, of the American Basketball Association
, played their home games at the facility, then known as the Convention Center, from 1967 through 1970. 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
.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Harry Truman both spoke there.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
The building was also known as the 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.
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
.
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 Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary as city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years Eve" celebration location. The facility has served the city of Louisville and Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
in a variety of ways during the past century, from utilization as an actual armory to American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
basketball games, to various wrestling events, concerts, political rallies, and Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
flood relief have also been staged there. More recently, WWE
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...
used the 3,000 person capacity arena as a training ground for future stars in a minor-league promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
known as Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
, until the organization moved to the Davis Arena. WWE also staged two pay-per-view
Pay-per-view
Pay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
events at Louisville Gardens: (In Your House 6
In Your House 6
In Your House 6: Rage In The Cage was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation, which took place on February 18, 1996 at the Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky.Six matches aired on the broadcast...
and In Your House 17: Ground Zero
Ground Zero: In Your House
Ground Zero: In Your House was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation , which took place on September 7, 1997 at Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky...
). TNA Wrestling held an event at the venue in 2008. Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
replaced the small, aging facility in 1956, as a more popular venue for city events.
The Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
men's basketball tournament was held at the Jefferson County Armory from 1941-1952. Additionally, the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
men's basketball tournament was held there from 1949–1955 and again from 1964-1967. The Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels
The Kentucky Colonels were a member of the American Basketball Association for all of the league's nine years. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels. The Colonels won the most games and had the highest winning percentage of any franchise in the league's history, but the team did...
, of the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
, played their home games at the facility, then known as the Convention Center, from 1967 through 1970. The Louisville Catbirds
Louisville Catbirds
The Louisville Catbirds were a basketball team of the CBA who played in the mid 80s.-History:The Catbirds played two seasons in 1983-85 in Kentucky before moving to La Crosse, Wisconsin, in which the team would reach the CBA finals three times, winning twice 1990 and in 1992). Head coach Flip...
, of the Continental Basketball Association
Continental Basketball Association
The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...
(1983–1985), the Louisville Shooters
Louisville Shooters
Louisville Shooters was a team from Louisville, Kentucky that competed in the Global Basketball Association during its inaugural 1991-1992 season and three games into its second season....
, of the Global Basketball Association
Global Basketball Association
The Global Basketball Association was a minor league with various franchises in the United States. Teams were located throughout the South and Midwest...
(1991–1992) and the Kentucky Colonels
Kentucky Colonels (ABA 2000)
This article is about the professional basketball team in the re-launched American Basketball Association.For the 1967-1976 American Basketball Association team, see Kentucky Colonels....
, of the ABA 2000 (2004–2006), all played their home basketball games at the Louisville Gardens. The University of Louisville
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
women's basketball team used the Gardens for six home games in the 1997–98 season. Ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams to use the Gardens as home ice include the Louisville Blades
Louisville Blades
The Louisville Blades were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the International Hockey League during the 1948–49 season, and the United States Hockey League during the 1949–50 season. The Blades were based in Louisville, Kentucky and played at the Louisville...
, Louisville Shooting Stars
Louisville Shooting Stars
The Louisville Shooting Stars were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the International Hockey League during the 1953–54 season. The Shooting Stars were based in Louisville, Kentucky and played at the Louisville Gardens....
and the Louisville Rebels
Louisville Rebels
The Louisville Rebels were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the International Hockey League from 1957 to 1960. The Rebels were based in Louisville, Kentucky and originally played at the Louisville Gardens, and later the Freedom Hall...
.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Harry Truman both spoke there.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
The building was also known as the 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
Kentucky International Convention Center
The Kentucky International Convention Center , formerly called the Commonwealth Convention Center, is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. It, along with the Kentucky Exposition Center, hosts conventions for the Louisville area...
) was being built.
In 2007, the Cordish Company
Cordish Company
The Cordish Company is a real estate development and entertainment operating company with its headquarters on the 6th floor of the Pratt Street Power Plant in Baltimore, Maryland...
, manager of the nearby Fourth Street Live!
Fourth Street Live!
Fourth Street Live! is a entertainment and retail complex located on 4th Street, between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, in Downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It is owned and was developed by the Cordish Company; it was designed by Louisville architects, Bravura Corporation...
entertainment complex, agreed to take over operation of "The Gardens" from the Metro Louisville Government
Louisville Metro Council
The Louisville Metro Council is the city legislature of Louisville, Kentucky . It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court .The Metro Council consists of...
as part of a $250 million development in downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west...
.