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Veterans Memorial Auditorium (Des Moines)
Encyclopedia
Veterans Memorial Auditorium is an arena
in Des Moines, Iowa
, that is part of the Iowa Events Center
complex. It opened on February 1, 1955, and was named to honor the World War II
veterans of Polk County
. It has 7,227 permanent seats, with the capacity to add an additional 4,000 seats for concert
s and an additional 7,500 bleacher
seats for basketball
games. Vets also features 44,972 square feet (4,100 m²) of exhibition space at its main arena and an additional 50,806 square feet (4,700 m²) at its exhibition hall.
Prior to the opening of Wells Fargo Arena, Vets Auditorium had served as the primary venue of sporting events and concerts in the Des Moines area for many years; this was also the site of the January 20, 1982 concert, where Ozzy Osbourne
bit the head off a bat
. World Wrestling Entertainment
also broadcast their WWE Raw
program from the venue. The Vets was also the longtime home of the Iowa state high school
basketball and wrestling
tournaments until 2005. Vets Auditorium also hosted Drake University
basketball games until 1992, when the Knapp Center
opened, and the Des Moines Dragons
professional basketball team from 1997 to 2001. In recent years, however, Vets began to show its age as newer and larger arenas were opening in other cities. The Barnstormers moved out because of the inadequacy of "The Barn" (as Vets was known during their games) and concert promoters began to bypass Des Moines for other cities.
Vets Auditorium was modernized as part of the Iowa Events Center
work. It continues to be used for smaller arena events and exhibitions. The Des Moines skywalk
system connects Vets with Wells Fargo Arena
, Hy-Vee
Hall, and the Polk County Convention Complex.
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 Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, that is part of the Iowa Events Center
Iowa Events Center
The Iowa Events Center is a public events complex located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.-Overview:The Iowa Events Center consists of the existing Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the existing Polk County Convention Complex, the new Hy-Vee Hall, and the new Wells Fargo Arena...
complex. It opened on February 1, 1955, and was named to honor the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veterans of Polk County
Polk County, Iowa
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 430,640 in the 2010 census, an increase from 374,601 in the 2000 census. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city of Iowa...
. It has 7,227 permanent seats, with the capacity to add an additional 4,000 seats for concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s and an additional 7,500 bleacher
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
seats for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games. Vets also features 44,972 square feet (4,100 m²) of exhibition space at its main arena and an additional 50,806 square feet (4,700 m²) at its exhibition hall.
Prior to the opening of Wells Fargo Arena, Vets Auditorium had served as the primary venue of sporting events and concerts in the Des Moines area for many years; this was also the site of the January 20, 1982 concert, where Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
bit the head off a bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
. 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...
also broadcast their WWE Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
program from the venue. The Vets was also the longtime home of the Iowa state high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
basketball and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
tournaments until 2005. Vets Auditorium also hosted Drake University
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
basketball games until 1992, when the Knapp Center
Knapp Center
The Knapp Center is a 7,000 seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. It was built in 1992, and is the home of the Drake Bulldogs. The first Drake Bulldogs basketball game was played on December 5, 1992....
opened, and the Des Moines Dragons
Des Moines Dragons
The Des Moines Dragons were a minor league basketball team in the International Basketball Association. They were located in Des Moines, Iowa, and played at the Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The Dragons was owned by Paul Miller and Dick Giesen. The Des Moines Dragons were the International...
professional basketball team from 1997 to 2001. In recent years, however, Vets began to show its age as newer and larger arenas were opening in other cities. The Barnstormers moved out because of the inadequacy of "The Barn" (as Vets was known during their games) and concert promoters began to bypass Des Moines for other cities.
Vets Auditorium was modernized as part of the Iowa Events Center
Iowa Events Center
The Iowa Events Center is a public events complex located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.-Overview:The Iowa Events Center consists of the existing Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the existing Polk County Convention Complex, the new Hy-Vee Hall, and the new Wells Fargo Arena...
work. It continues to be used for smaller arena events and exhibitions. The Des Moines skywalk
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
system connects Vets with Wells Fargo Arena
Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines)
Wells Fargo Arena is a 16,980-seat multi-purpose arena in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Part of the Iowa Events Center, the arena opened in 2005, at a cost of $99 million....
, Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee is an employee-owned chain of supermarkets located in the Midwestern United States. Over 100 of its supermarkets are located in Iowa, with additional stores in Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and now Madison, Wisconsin...
Hall, and the Polk County Convention Complex.