Uline Arena

Washington Coliseum
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Uline Arena (1941–1959)
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Location	1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd St. NE, Washington, District of Columbia
Coordinates	38°54′18″N 77°0′11″W / 38.90500°N 77.00306°W / 38.90500; -77.00306Coordinates: 38°54′18″N 77°0′11″W / 38.90500°N 77.00306°W / 38.90500; -77.00306
Area	3.9 acres (1.6 ha)
Built	1941
Architectural style	Modern Movement
NRHP Reference #	07000448
Added to NRHP	May 17, 2007

The Washington Coliseum, formerly Uline Arena, is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It was the site of the first concert by The Beatles in the United States.

It is directly adjacent to the railroad tracks, just north of Union Station, and bounded by L and M Streets.

While later used as a parking facility, it once hosted the Basketball Association of America's Washington Capitols, coached by Red Auerbach from 1946 to 1949, and the American Basketball Association's Washington Caps in 1969–1970. It also was host to many performances and athletic events of varying types, including ice skating, martial arts, ballet, music, circuses, and speeches. As an arena, it held 7,000 to 9,000 people for events.

The 11,000-seat Uline Ice Arena, which opened in February 1941, was built by Miguel L. "Uncle Mike" Uline for his ice hockey team, the Washington Lions of the now defunct Eastern Amateur Hockey League. Uline built the arena next to his ice business, in which he had made his fortune. The first act at the new arena was Sonja Henie's Hollywood Ice Revue. Another of its earliest events was a pro-America rally in 1941 designed to promote U.S. entry into World War II, just weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into the war on December 7, 1941. During the war, Uline repurposed the arena as a housing facility for U.S. service members.

After World War II ended in 1945, the arena was restored for use as an ice hockey and basketball venue. The Washington Capitols began play as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America in 1946 and became a charter member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949; during its five seasons of play, the team used Uline Arena as its home court. Earl Lloyd, the first African American athlete to play for an NBA team, played for the Capitols at Uline Arena on October 31, 1950. The team folded at the end of the 1950-1951 season. During the 1946-1947, 1949-1950, and 1950-1951 seasons, the Georgetown University Hoyas men's basketball team played its home games at Uline Arena.