Key Arena: Ixs

The award winning Key Arena at Seattle Center is1992. It is also used for non-athletic entertainment
Seattle's premier venue for sports, concerts and familypurposes, such as ice shows, circuses, and concerts.
entertainment. The state-of-the-art facility isThe arena was built in the name the Seattle Center
recognized as one of the safest, most advanced andColiseum in 1962. However, the reconstruction was
comfortable arenas in the world. Its unique designstarted on June 16, 1994 that ultimately completed on
provides sports and concert fans an intimateOctober 26, 1995. The building's original roofline was
entertainment experience with spectacular sightlinesused as a guide and some of the original concrete for
and acoustics, uncommon in arenas of similar size.the main supports still exists but most everything about
KeyArena at Seattle Center was opened October 26,the arena was brand new. The court which was
1995. It is located north of downtown Seattle, USA onoriginally at street level is now 35 feet below to allow
the grounds of Seattle Center (the site of 1962'smore seating. After the rebuild, the Coliseum was
Century 21 Exposition, a World's Fair). Since itsrenamed KeyArena, as Key Bank purchased the
inception, It had entertained over 10 million guests.naming rights.
The Seattle SuperSonics of the National BasketballThe first regular season game that the Seattle
Association are the primary tenants of this gorgeousSuperSonics played in KeyArena at Seattle Center
Key Arena.It has also the distinction of hosting the 1974took place on November 4, 1995, against the Los
NBA All-Star Game.Angeles Lakers.The city of Seattle contributed 74.5
This gorgeous Arena has been used for multipurposemillion and the Seattle SuperSonics approximately 21
activities. Besides hosting Seattle's own SuperSonics,million for the reconstruction of this wonderful Key
Storm and Thunderbirds, KeyArena at Seattle CenterArena.
also hosts entertainments most acclaimed talent fromKeyArena is unique in the sense that it is the first
music's biggest stars to popular family shows. Since itspublicly financed arena fully supported by earned
opening in 1995, KeyArena has hosted over 130income from the building. It has wonderful seating
concerts including music's biggest names such ascapacity for all the games and the concerts. Its seating
Aerosmith, Jose Carreras, Pearl Jam, Celine Dion, Eltoncapacity for basketball games is 17,072, ice hockey
John, Garth Brooks, George Strait and Simon &games and ice shows 15,177, end-stage concerts,
Garfunkel. It is proud of entertaining thousands of16,641 and center-stage concerts and boxing 17,459.
families with shows from Disney On Ice, ChampionsRisers hold 7,440 on the upper level and up to 7,741 on
On Ice, WWE ( ), NCAA and the 1995-1996 NBAthe lower level, with luxury suites adding another 1,160
Finals.seats.
In addition to being the home of the Sonics, it is alsoActually, Key Arena at Seattle Center has earned the
home to the Seattle Storm of the Women's Nationalreputation of nation's best gathering place.Undoubtedly,
Basketball Association and the Seattle Thunderbirds, aIt is home to the finest cultural and educational
junior hockey team in the Western Hockey League.organizations, sports teams, festivals, community
The Thunderbirds hosted the Memorial Cup here inprograms and entertainment facilities.