Full name | General James White Memorial Civic Auditorium and Coliseum |
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Location | 500 Howard Baker Jr. Avenue Knoxville, Tennessee 37915 |
Owner | City of Knoxville |
Operator | City of Knoxville |
Capacity | 7,141 (coliseum) 2,500 (auditorium) |
Construction | |
Opened | 1961 |
Architect | Painter, Weeks, and McCarty |
Tenants | |
Knoxville Knights (EHL) (1961–1968) Knoxville Cherokees (ECHL) (1988-–1997) Tennessee Volunteers ice hockey (SECHC) (1992–present; half of home games) Knoxville Speed (UHL) (1999–2002) Tennessee Riverhawks (NIFL) (2001–2003) Knoxville Ice Bears (SPHL) (2002–present) Knoxville NightHawks (PIFL) (2012–2013) |
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Website | |
knoxvillecoliseum.com |
General James White Memorial Civic Auditorium and Coliseum (usually shortened to Knoxville Civic Coliseum) is a multi-purpose events facility in Knoxville, Tennessee, owned and operated by the Knoxville city government. Its components are an auditorium with a maximum seating capacity of 2,500, a multi-purpose arena with a maximum seating capacity of 7,141, an exhibition hall and a ballroom. It was built in 1961.
The arena is home to the Hard Knox Roller Girls, of the WFTDA, the Knoxville Ice Bears, of the SPHL and the University of Tennessee Ice Vols, of the ACHA. Beginning in 2012, it will be home of the Knoxville NightHawks of the Professional Indoor Football League. In the past, the arena hosted the Knoxville Speed, of the UHL, the Knoxville Cherokees, of the ECHL and the Knoxville Knights, of the EHL. It was also the home of the Tennessee Thundercats professional indoor football franchise, for two years.
It was the main home arena for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, a regional wrestling promotion, run by pro wrestling Hall of Famer Jim Cornette, from 1992 to 1995.
Performances hosted in the facility have included circuses, plays and musicals, symphony orchestra concerts, popular music concerts, and comedians. The facility was the site of Randy Rhoads' last show, before his death in a plane crash.