Saturday, August 25, 2018
The following is from the State Fair walking tour brochure:
"Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum"
"Opened 1951; renamed in 1975 and 2006"
"Then: State Fair livestock competitions were held in large tents until 1906, when the Livestock Amphitheater became the home to horse shows and livestock judging in summer and an ice rink during winter. It was known as the Hippodrome, named for the ancient Greek stadiums used for horse and chariot racing. After being used as a military aircraft propeller factory during WWII, the buildling became structurally unsound and was razed. The present building, which opened in 1951, is designed like a military armory, strong and sturdy with two beautiful carved reliefs on the north side that depict the state motto, l'Etoile du Nord (The Star of the North).
"Now: The 5,200-seat Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum is a popular destination for fairgoers, particularly to watch the Supreme Six-Horse-Hitch class. For many, the Coliseum will forever be associated with ice hockey. The building's indoor ice rink closed in 2014 due to increasing maintenance costs, but it had been the place to see high school, college, and semipro games for decades."
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