History
Named for Charles R. Blyth, the arena was the main building of the 1960 Winter Games. Its roof hung from steel masts and cables, and its south side was left open so spectators could see the speed skating oval and the ski jumps on the slopes beyond.
It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, figure skating and ice hockey. American skaters David Jenkins and Carol Heiss won individual titles there, and the U.S. hockey team won gold after beating the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia in the final days.
After the Games the arena remained a skating venue and was used for gatherings such as religious conventions. Roof insulation added in 1982 kept snow from melting off, and in March 1983 the snow load brought the roof down. The resort, which had already wanted the space for cars, had the arena demolished that year.
Why it matters: It was the centerpiece venue of the 1960 Winter Olympics and the scene of the first U.S. Olympic ice hockey gold medal.
Timeline
- 1958–1960Construction[2]
The cable-supported arena was built for the VIII Olympic Winter Games.
- 1960
The United States won Olympic hockey gold at the arena after games against the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia.
- February 18, 1960Olympic opening ceremony[2]
The arena hosted the opening ceremony and then figure skating and ice hockey through February 28.
- 1982
Energy-saving insulation stopped building heat from melting snow off the shallow roof.
- 1983
The ruined arena was cleared later that year, and the site became ski-area parking.
- March 1983
A heavy snow load caused the roof to collapse.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking for the ski resort[1,3] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Venue facts
| Other names | Blyth Memorial Arena; Charles R. Blyth Arena |
|---|---|
| Location | Squaw Valley (now Palisades Tahoe) base area; PCAD lists 1765 Olympic Valley Road, Olympic Valley, California[2] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Hockey, Olympic venues, Other sports |
| Level | Olympic |
| Opened | 1960[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | March 1983[1,2,3] |
| Demolished | 1983[1,2,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 8,500[1,3] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia gives 8,500 seats, with standing-room crowds of about 10,000 for U.S. hockey games; Olympics.com gives 11,000. |
| Architect | Corlett and Spackman; Kitchen and Hunt (structural engineers H. J. Brunnier and John Sardis)[1,2] |
| Surface | Ice |
| Owner / operator | State of California (ski-area operator lobbied the state for its removal) |
| Closure | Roof collapse under heavy snow in March 1983; the arena was not rebuilt. |
Documented details
Sources
- Blyth Arena, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened
- Blyth Arena (PCAD building record), Pacific Coast Architecture Database, University of Washington. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, closed, demolished, opened
- Squaw Valley 1960 overview, International Olympic Committee. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, current land use, demolished
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Capacity: 8,500 seats (Wikipedia) vs 11,000 (Olympics.com).
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.