Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,103 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball. Opened in 1989, the Coliseum's $26 million Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² devoted to hosting substantial trade shows and other events with seating for 7,500. In 2002, an extensive $35 million renovation and expansion raised the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum's roof by, thus increasing the arena's seating capacity to 10,500 for hockey or music concerts and 13,000 for basketball. The structure was designed by A.M. Strauss Architects.
Sports
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the current home of the:
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum complex includes the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center and Holiday Inn, managed in cooperation with PurdueFW.
Exposition Center
Within the same complex as the arena, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² devoted to hosting substantial trade shows, banquets, graduation ceremonies, concerts, truck and tractor pulls, and wrestling matches, with the capability of seating 7,500 guests. When no events are scheduled for the arena, the Exposition Center's capacity can extend to a total of 175,000-ft². The Exposition Center was added in the $26 million renovation and expansion of the complex, completed in 1989.
Grounds
The grounds immediately surrounding the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum display the anchor from World War II's battleship. South and east of the central complex is an expansive parking lot, containing 4,500 available parking spaces. To the south and west along the St. Joseph River, lies Johnny Appleseed Park, containing the gravesite of American folklore figure John Chapman. To the north and northeast is the PurdueFW campus, especially the portion of the PurdueFW campus located on the western bank of the St. Joseph, on which a 151-room Holiday Inn is located.
Recent construction
In 2013, a $3.96 million renovation and expansion of the 200 Level was completed. The project included upgraded restrooms with LED lighting, no-touch sinks, no-touch toilets, and no-touch urinals, and the addition of two food courts with three new vendors. Other restrooms throughout the Memorial Coliseum were upgraded in 2014. The ribbon cutting ceremony was October 11, 2013.
Other events
Midget car racing
The Coliseum Arena hosted the first ever United States Auto Club race in 1956, a 100-lap midget car race at a 1/10 mile oval. The event continued until 1989, usually with two separate events in early and late January. Since 1998, the Coliseum Exposition Center has hosted the Rumble in Fort Wayne, an annual midget car race. Featuring a 1/6 mile flat oval, it takes place at the end of the year, and after most major racing series seasons have ended. It has allowed drivers from major racing series to participate: Dave Darland, Tracy Hines, J. J. Yeley, Bryan Clauson, Sammy Swindell; with NASCAR, USAC, and IndyCar champion Tony Stewart having the most feature wins at 9.
Politics
On May 1, 2016, Donald Trump held a campaign rally ahead of the Indiana Primary election at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Over 12,500 were in attendance. On November 5, 2018, now President Donald Trump returned to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on the eve of the Midterm Election, holding a rally for his administration and to aid Mike Braun in his efforts to win a seat in the United States Senate. Coliseum officials estimated 20,000 Trump supporters attended the rally.
