Lost venues in Michigan
14 former venues documented so far, across 6 cities. Mostly football, horse racing, basketball.
14 venues
View on map →Bennett Park
Bennett Park was the Detroit Tigers' ballpark at Michigan and Trumbull from 1896 to 1911, where Ty Cobb's Tigers won three pennants before it was replaced by Navin Field on the same corner.
Cobo Arena
Cobo Arena was the 12,000-seat arena attached to Detroit's Cobo convention center and home of the Detroit Pistons from 1961 to 1978. It closed in 2010 and its space became a ballroom.
Detroit Race Course
Detroit Race Course in Livonia, Michigan, was metro Detroit's main Thoroughbred track from 1950 until its last live race in November 1998. It was torn down for commercial redevelopment.
Dorais Velodrome
Dorais Velodrome in Detroit was a 325-meter concrete cycling track that opened in July 1969 and held races until about 1989. It now stands abandoned.
Hamtramck Stadium
Hamtramck Stadium was built in 1930 for Detroit's Negro league teams and is one of the few surviving Negro league ballparks. It has been restored for community baseball.
Hazel Park Raceway
Hazel Park Raceway, north of Detroit, hosted Thoroughbred and harness racing from 1949 until it closed in April 2018. An Amazon distribution center now stands on the site.
Joe Louis Arena
Joe Louis Arena on the Detroit riverfront was the Red Wings' home from December 1979 to 2017. The city dismantled it in 2019-2020, and the site is being redeveloped as Water Square.
Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway
The Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway was a one-mile dirt oval in Detroit, built for horse racing in 1899, that hosted AAA and USAC Indy car races and two NASCAR Grand National races. Its grandstand was condemned in 1971 and demolished in 2001.
Northville Downs
Northville Downs, a harness track in Northville, Michigan, ran from 1944 until February 3, 2024, when it closed as the state's last horse racing track. The site is being redeveloped for housing and parks.
Olympia Stadium
Olympia Stadium at Grand River and McGraw was the Red Wings' home from 1927 through 1979 and briefly the Pistons'. It was demolished in 1986 and replaced on site by a National Guard armory.
Pontiac Silverdome
The Pontiac Silverdome was an air-supported domed stadium north of Detroit. It housed the Lions for 27 seasons and the Pistons for a decade, and hosted Super Bowl XVI, WrestleMania III and the first indoor World Cup match.
Recreation Park (Detroit)
Recreation Park was home to the National League's Detroit Wolverines from 1881 to 1888 and hosted Detroit's first major league game. The Detroit Medical Center now occupies the site.
Tiger Stadium
Tiger Stadium stood at Michigan and Trumbull in Detroit and was the Tigers' home from 1912 to 1999. It was demolished in 2008–09, and its preserved field reopened as a youth ballpark in 2018.
University of Detroit Stadium
University of Detroit Stadium was the Titans' football field and the Detroit Lions' early home, including their 1935 championship. It was demolished in 1971.